The Doctor and Her Bride
by ZuTian
Summary: Aihara Mei is a beautiful and brilliant doctor with a distaste for social contact and an unhealthy fixation towards discovering the unknown. A few weeks before her birthday, the doctor receives the gift of a lifetime, an interesting girl who presented her own afflicted body as a puzzle to solve.
1. Chapter 1: A Gift for the Lovely Doctor

"I'll breathe life into your lips."

* * *

The emerging industrialization burst forth from every corner of England. It was a time of steam locomotives, concrete, and electromagnets for the inventor; Queen Victoria, the abolishment of slavery and social reforms for the political; Oliver Twist, The Raft of Medusa, The Haywain and so much more for the artistic and the cultured... Finally, there was also the advancement in all faculties of Medicine, which delighted a particular raven-haired girl.

Aihara Mei is a doctor known far and wide for her obsessive pursuit of medical knowledge. The mysteries of bacteria, viruses, and all these unknown diseases and afflictions intrigued her more than any conversation on gossip, art or drama. The doctor might keep one or two in her company whenever she was in the public's eye but in truth, the world outside of her practice meant very little to her.

Of course, that didn't deter any potential suitor from trying to wing their way into a conversation with the academic. Men gawked at her and spouted boring topics of who did what and where, what their families had or just outright ask for her hand as if she was a trophy wife to be won. On all these occasions, Mei's stern amethyst eyes would coldly stare back at them like the unwanted pests that they were and the men would quickly scurry away as if her gaze was enough of a 'no.'

"Mei, when are you ever going to think about marrying?" Said a girl with long plum-colored hair who casually sipped from her cup of Earl Grey.

"I have no interest in marrying such boorish people. I already told you a hundred times, Harumi." Mei answered with a tone of indifference. It was the truth, she had never once found a man worth talking to as they mostly only wanted physical intimacy and the mighty scholars who delved in the same interests as she did all looked down on her simply because she's a woman.

"Do you plan on locking yourself up and treating patients at the hospital forever?"

"I don't see how that's a bad idea." Mei answered simply, causing Harumi to give up on the conversation.

"Well, whatever." Harumi sighed at her friend's total indifference to any social concept, "That's not what I asked you to come for anyway."

"And what did you call me out here for?" Mei elegantly returned her cup to its saucer before giving Harumi a questioning look.

"It's almost your birthday, right?" The plum-haired girl could barely contain her excitement and Mei immediately picked up on the dangerous vibes that were emanating from the plum-haired girl.

"Yes." Mei cautiously answered with one eyebrow raised in alarm, "What abomination did you think of this time, Harumi?"

"Oh, you'll love this but Himeko won't so don't tell her." A sly grin appeared on Harumi's lips as she placed her index finger in front of her lips; motioning for Mei to keep it a secret.

"I'll politely refuse your gift, Harumi. The last few years you gave me nothing but disasters and I still haven't recovered from the last one." Unbelievably, Harumi thought that throwing Mei an all-male birthday party would alleviate her aloof and uninterested approach to men. Mei, having no idea about the party in question, attended in full confidence of her friend. It was a disaster, to say the least.

"Come on, Mei. I promise it won't be anything like that. You can take a look and refuse if it doesn't interest you." The girl argued, "I really did consider your interests this time!" She added as she whined about the raven-haired girl's refusal to accept her gift.

Knowing they weren't going to get anywhere and wanting to quickly return to her research, Mei decided that her best course of action would be to simply agree to Harumi's proposal then leave as soon as they see this 'gift' and return home. "Fine." Mei agreed to Harumi's request knowing she would most likely regret it later.

Harumi lit up when Mei agreed, quickly dragging the doctor from her chair and throwing her inside the carriage before the girl could change her mind as she often did. The plum-haired girl's sudden eruption of energy already made Mei second-guess her decision in agreeing. The few minutes inside the carriage was nothing but pure torture for the raven-haired girl. Harumi kept going on and on about gentlemen, the new fashion and a bunch of other common 'lady' talk as Mei liked to call it.

The entire conversation was such living agony that she couldn't help but be thankful when the ride was finally over and the coachman opened the door to let them out. Mei realized for the first time that Harumi had taken her to a rundown hospital in a shady part of London and she eyed her friend nervously at the choice of location.

"So..." Mei trailed off, checking to see if she had her friend's attention, "What are we doing at this filthy excuse for a hospital?" Her face contorting in annoyance despite the flat way in which she spoke.

"Don't worry! I didn't buy you the hospital, I swear." Harumi pounded on her chest proudly in an unladylike manner, "Come on, don't dally. I want you to tell me what you think as soon as see what I got you." The plum-haired girl walked in front of Mei, carefully lifting her dress as she made her way up the staircase and inside the building.

The hospital was as filthy inside as it was outside. Mei, while curious about the sickness of each patient, didn't see any disease worth her time to investigate. It was all the usual and mostly children sick with something easily curable. It was incomprehensible to her why Harumi would bring her all the way out here just to see something they could easily find at the hospital which she practiced at.

Coming up a flight of stairs, Harumi urged her to continue walking and since it was too late to back out now, she obliged. The second floor was a little more sanitary than the previous one. In fact, it was mostly empty and while Mei felt the need to inquire, she decided to just let Harumi take the lead and wait to see what the fuss was about.

"Ah, here it is." The plum-haired girl finally spoke after the uncharacteristically quiet stroll through the hospital, "Are you ready, Mei?" she asked to the Doctor's annoyance.

"Just get it over with."

Harumi slowly opened the door, causing the old thing to creak loudly. Inside the room was a serene and personal space. Like someone had stayed in it for far longer than they should have, "Hello, I'm here again." Harumi greeted someone inside the room and Mei looked on curiously at the exchange, trying to spot the person her friend was talking to through the tiny crack of the door.

A soft voice spoke from inside. 'A woman? What the hell is Harumi playing at?' She questioned her friend's motivation though it didn't take long for the said friend to invite her inside the room. Sparking a debate in her mind, her caution urged her to refuse but the questions in her head told her to go in and find some answers. So in she went, having never refused a command brought on by her ever-present curiosity.

Stepping slowly through the door, Mei braced herself for whatever monstrosity she would find inside but was quickly disappointed when the figure of a rather normal looking girl came into view. The woman had long blonde hair with loose curls at the end and a plain looking light green dress that looked like it had been worn so often that the color had already begun to fade.

"Good morning. Miss Aihara, I presume?" The blonde girl addressed her but Mei was staring so intently at the girl's emerald green eyes that she failed to answer immediately, "Uhm- it's kind of embarrassing if you stare at me that much..."

"Sorry," Mei apologized after regaining her sense, "excuse us for a moment." The raven-haired girl pulled her friend out of the door and gave her a stern, no-nonsense look causing the latter to gulp in fear.

"What's this about?" She asked apprehensively, not in the mood to be led by the nose anymore.

"Well, you're only ever interested in diseases so..."

"She does not look the least bit sick. So, tell me the truth!"

"I am telling the truth! She's sick with something but the doctors don't know what it is!" Harumi tried to defend herself but Mei wasn't having any of it and continued pressuring the plum-haired girl with a deathly glare.

"Miss Taniguchi is telling the truth, Miss Aihara." The blonde spoke out, appearing from the door with a smile on her face.

"This does not concern you. Don't interfere." Mei was extremely displeased that the girl was helping Harumi with whatever she was scheming.

"I heard about you from Miss Taniguchi. The beautiful raven-haired doctor who's only ever interested in discovering the unknown and conquering the incurable." The blonde spoke once more as if challenging Mei's authority in the matter, "Why don't you hear her out before you judge her, Miss Aihara?" the girl quipped.

"Fine," Mei answered, stepping away from Harumi and following the blonde girl back into the room. The plum-haired girl followed closely behind and gave a nod of appreciation towards the blonde who saved her ass from Mei's rage.

"So, explain."

"Wait, don't you want to know her name first? We can't just act like she's not a person, you know?" Harumi debated with Mei, forcing the raven-haired girl's patience to the limit.

"I don't care. Just get on with it." Mei answered while raising her voice.

"Ugh. So strict. Sorry about her attitude, Yuzu. She's like this but she's a good girl inside." Harumi apologized to the blonde who was now sitting on her bed and smiling at the exchange.

'Yuzu?' Mei repeated the name to herself. The girl had blonde hair and large green eyes typical of westerners. She originally assumed that the girl was a pure-blooded English woman but that name was definitely Japanese in nature. So she came to the conclusion that the blonde was probably of mixed heritage like herself.

The conversation that followed was long but Mei found it so interesting that she was even glad she didn't turn down Harumi's invitation. Turns out that this girl called 'Yuzu' has had a special condition from a young age and the symptoms that she showed ranged from headaches to chest pains and even fainting in some cases.

To Mei's knowledge, there are a few diseases with these symptoms and most of them were heart-related but the girl had herself checked multiple times before with no damage or issues found in the organ. It was definitely a puzzle worth investigating even for a short amount of time and Mei contemplated what kind of tests she could run on the girl. The girl's condition, having piqued her interest, was now all she could think about but therein lies a problem...

"So, that look on your face tells me that you like my gift." Harumi disturbed the doctor's thoughts to the latter's annoyance.

"As interesting as it is, how do you intend for me to study her condition this far out and besides, did she even agree to this?" Mei looked at the blonde.

"Of course, I bought her already!" Harumi proudly exclaimed and Mei quickly grabbed her friend's face in anger, "You... have you forgotten that slavery has been abolished?"

"Ouch, ouch. Stop." Harumi continuously slapped Mei's hand as she tried to get the girl to release the grip that was holding her face tightly, "It isn't that type of buying. It hurts... Let go... My make-up..." the plum-haired girl whined.

"Miss Aihara," Yuzu called out to her again, "She didn't really purchase me, per se. It was an arrangement in between us and one that I gladly accepted."

"Explain," Mei said as she released a tearful Harumi.

"I've been in this hospital for a very long time now and of course my debts have accumulated. The people here have been nice enough not to drive me out but I can't stay on their goodwill forever, can I?" Mei carefully examined the blonde's face and noticed that a solemn look had painted over the bubbling smile that she previously had plastered on her angelic face.

"Anyway, Miss Harumi found me here a few weeks ago and offered to pay for my debt in exchange for something. She wanted me to allow you to study my condition and of course, she promised me that no experiments would be done on my body. I take that you would honor that part of the bargain? I'm really scared of painful things, you see." The blonde smiled sheepishly at Mei.

"Bloodletting will be required but I'm a doctor, not a mad scientist. I study to heal not to kill. Why would you even assume that I would cause you unnecessary harm?" Mei felt a little insulted at the girl's comment. She didn't like being compared to those insane doctors that used medicine as an excuse to quietly butcher people. Paving their way to success through blood and murder.

"If that's the case, then I offer this body to you, Miss Aihara. I'll be in your care." Yuzu gave a bow of courtesy before giving the raven-haired girl the widest grin she had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2: The Doctor Is a Witch

Mei waited for Harumi and the blonde girl to prepare for their departure. There was much to do before they could actually leave but the two were taking their sweet time and driving Mei up the wall with their nonchalance, "Can the two stop dawdling, please? I don't have all day." She tapped her foot impatiently.

"Mei, that's rude. A lady must be given enough time to prepare and if you're so insistent on this going faster, then how about you lend a hand?" Harumi scolded her somewhat insensitive friend who was, by all means, intelligent except when it came to dealing with people.

The raven-haired girl grumbled at the scolding. She always hated how Harumi treated her like a little child and there was also no force in this good earth that would compel her to touch another woman's belongings, much less their clothing. "I'll pass on that offer." She scoffed while rolling her eyes.

"Why don't you go busy yourself downstairs? I'm sure there's something that would occupy your mind for a while." Harumi having noticed the growing scowl on Mei's face decided that it would be better to keep the raven-haired girl occupied and happy, otherwise she would take out all that frustration on Yuzu when they got home.

Mei didn't like that suggestion one bit. She felt like Harumi was passively telling her she was a nuisance and she was prepared to throw in a hundred choice words at her friend but the blonde girl smiled so sweetly at her that it prevented her tongue from spewing such venomous insults, "We'll be done soon, Miss Aihara. I promise."

"I'm going to hold you to that. Thirty minutes and no more." Mei looked at the girl and waited for her to answer but she received no confirmation aside from the annoying smile that the blonde kept plastered on her face and a weak nod of agreement. Once Mei had her answer, she sighed and left the room. Heading back down the flight of stairs, she decided to check on some of the patients and see if she could find anything interesting to pass the time.

Mei peered through each sick bed she could find and carefully examined each patient's condition. The hospital was even more rundown than she initially thought as she noted each and every sanitary precaution which was ignored by the staff. The nurses seemed untrained and simply took care of their patients in the same way a mother would take care of their child at home. It wasn't bad but it definitely didn't reach her practice standards.

'How can this place help anyone?' she thought to herself before she was interrupted by a light tug on her dress.

"Big sis, big sis!" Mei looked down and found a boy who was no older than six years old pulling on side of her dress. His messy light ginger hair hid the green eyes which shone brightly as if he found something amazing. "Wooooow." the boy gawked at her.

"Hey, Anthony! Who's that?!" A girl emerged from one of the rooms and ran towards Mei. "Big sis... you're so pretty!" she said as she got closer.

A few seconds later and there was already half a dozen children crowding Mei. They asked for her name, who she was, and numerous other questions which served no other purpose than to drive her completely mad. Mei couldn't contain the overflowing annoyance she was currently feeling and it bled through her expression, scaring the children.

"Come on, everyone. Stop bothering her." The sweet voice of the blonde called out, scolding the children as she approached and the little ones ran towards her as if she was their mother.

"Waaaa! Yuzu, that lady is pretty but she's so scary!" A child cried.

"She's probably one of those witches that eat children!" Another screamed.

Mei was reaching the very end of her patience and hearing Harumi laughing loudly behind her wasn't helping in any way, "Did you hear that? She called you a witch!" The plum-haired girl continued laughing at her expense.

"You rascals... she's a doctor. If you don't stop teasing her, she's not going to help you if you get sick." The blonde chided them, which Mei assumed was an attempt to salvage her reputation but as she would soon find, it was a lost cause and the children were too far gone in the idea that she was some witch from Snow White or some similar fantasy book.

"You mean we need to be nice to her or she'll let us die?!" Harumi died at the child's conclusion, gagging in laughter and nearly collapsing her own lung from the excessive strain.

"That's not what I meant!" Defended the blonde, "Really, you're all a handful. Now apologize and stop bothering the doctor!"

Mei kept her stern look and gazed down at the children who lined up to bow their heads and apologize at the blonde's command. She wasn't going to hold it against them and this was hardly necessary but she was impressed by the blonde's command over the unruly children. They respected and loved her if nothing else. After the children apologized and left, Mei looked at her unwitting savior and noticed a smile on the girl's face.

"You're terrible with children, Miss Aihara?" She inquired.

"Children? She's terrible with humans in general." Harumi answered for her.

"Prepare to leave. You have ten minutes left." The doctor coldly stated, not wanting to bother with any more nonsense. She couldn't stand staying at this place any longer and she felt like she just 'socialized' for ten years' worth during the hour and a half she spent inside the building. Leaving through the entrance, she returned to the coach and asked the coachman to help the blonde load her belongings when she arrives... whenever that was going to be.

Peace and quiet where things that Mei appreciated more than anything else. When she was alone, she could drown in her thoughts. Even without her laboratory, she could calculate and theorize, and as if she had a private library inside her mind, she recalled all the medical books she had consumed over the years and searched for any known diseases which could provide a hint towards her newest distraction.

'Knock, knock' A sound disturbed her concentration and she looked out to find Harumi looking inside the carriage and beckoning her to exit. Questioning Harumi with one brow raised, the doctor decided to heed her friend's request and leave the safety and comfort of the coach. "What?" she asked as she exited the vehicle.

"They want to say something to you," Harumi whispered towards her.

"Miss Aihara?" An old lady who looked like a nurse approached her and held her hands, "Please take care of that young one. She's bashful but she's a good girl with a kind heart." The woman told her and Mei simply nodded in reply with her eyes fixed on the blonde who was saying her farewells to the children.

"You guys be good to Nana, All right? The blonde lowered herself and opened her arms, inviting the crying children in for a hug which they warmly accepted.

"We'll miss you, Yuzu. Come and visit." They bawled.

Mei thought of how cliche the scene was. She almost felt sorry for the youngsters despite what they said earlier, "Don't get eaten by the mean witch doctor, Yuzu." Another kid spoke and Mei instantly took back everything she just thought of... they're brats, not children. Plus they practically called her a quack just now.

When all the goodbyes were said and done, the trio boarded the coach bound for Mei's manor. Her family owned a larger castle in the countryside which boasted of their family's wealth but she preferred the smaller manor which she had purchased for herself when she came of age. The decision was partly because of her wish to live closer to the city in hopes of furthering her medical knowledge but it was also due to a disagreement with her grandfather and his disapproval of her chosen profession.

There was a time when Mei felt strongly about pleasing the family patriarch but those days were long gone and she had very little concern with regards to the family's standing and their wishes. As long as they didn't get in the way of her pursuit, then she found no reason to waste time and energy on dealing with them.

Mei watched the blonde and Harumi who were chatting merrily at the seat across from her. Harumi was always the social one, able to whip up a conversation from thin air and start a party with it. The fact that she's still friends with the doctor after all these years was living testament of that since she practically spoke to herself whenever she was with Mei.

"You talk as much as Harumi." Mei unintentionally babbled while observing.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Harumi furrowed her eyebrows at what sounded like an insult.

"Is that so? I'm sorry, do you find it disagreeable." The blonde apologized with her usual sheepish smile.

The raven-haired girl didn't reply and choosing to stare at the girl as she pondered on the question. Harumi has been around her for so long that she doesn't even notice how much the girl talked when they were together, however, she would be living with this blonde version of Harumi from now on and that might pose a problem in the future if she doesn't set the boundaries now.

"No, Just don't direct that loquaciousness towards me." Mei realized that the blonde was staring at her as if confused by what she just said, "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I-I'm sorry but I'm not quite sure what you meant."

Mei tilted her head to the side and wondered what the girl was so confused about, raising one of her brows in the process. Harumi motioned for her to bend closer so that the plum-haired girl could whisper in her ear and Mei did as she was told.

"She didn't have a proper education. Can you simmer down on the academic level talk?" Harumi spoke in a nearly inaudible volume.

Mei was taken aback by what she heard. It wasn't like she never met people who weren't fortunate enough to receive schooling but it was the first time that she was having such a person in the same coach as her, not that she minded that but it did throw her off a little. She felt bad at her lack of sensitivity for once.

"I meant that you should avoid talking to me unnecessarily." Mei quickly explained her previous statement and she observed that the blonde seemed to have caught wind of what Harumi whispered as she was now blushing madly of what Mei assumed was a feeling of embarrassment and no further conversation happened during the trip.

The sun was nowhere to be found when they arrived at the manor. Fortunately, the lanterns around the spacious home had already been lit though it was admittedly a little difficult to see the entirety of Mei's home during the evening. The cobblestone exterior, marble floors, and grand windows all screamed in testimony of Mei's wealth and social standing.

"Welcome back, Mei-Mei." A small girl greeted as the doctor dismounted from the coach.

"Hello, Himeko. How was your day?"

"Lovely! Oh my, did you bring guests?"

"Yes."

"Hello, Himeko. Did you miss me?" Harumi appeared behind Mei and greeted Himeko.

"Mei-Mei, I asked if you brought guests not strays." Himeko quickly retorted. There was obvious animosity in between the two, at least on Himeko's end, but Harumi simply kept on bugging the small girl like she was immune to the insults being thrown her way.

"There's one more." Mei cut in on the 'friendly' greeting. "How long do you intend to stay there?" She directed at the coach, pulling Himeko's attention along as she did.

"S-sorry," the blonde apologized as she carefully left the coach and appeared in view, "I didn't know if I should come down without being told so..."

"Mei-Mei... are you feeling especially charitable today?"

Mei looked at the dumbfounded expression on Himeko's face as the latter stared at the blonde. Mei couldn't help but sigh at how troublesome it was to deal with this, "This is Himeko, my housekeeper." Mei waved her hand at the short girl in a purple victorian dress which was accompanied by a headdress that sat in front of her permed pigtails.

"Nice to meet you, Miss Himeko." The blonde bowed and greeted.

"In any case, she will be staying with us from now on. Please give her a bedroom. It doesn't matter which one just don't put her too close to me or my laboratory." Mei directed at her housekeeper before pausing for a second and looking at the blonde. "Also, show her around the estate and make sure that she knows where she can and can't go."

Mei started walking inside the manor without a second thought nor care for what Harumi was shouting at her. She was nothing short of exhausted and all she could think of doing was to soak in a nice bath before retiring for the night. She might not have done anything productive today but she was sure to make up for that by thoroughly immersing herself in her new research material in the morning.

Harumi kept shouting insults at Mei outside of the manor, citing the girl's utter ignorance for human rights and all the social norms before finally giving up when she realized that the raven-haired girl was not listening to a single word she was saying. "Really now..." She looked at Yuzu with an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, Yuzu. She'll warm up to you, I swear."

"Don't worry about it, Miss Harumi. I'm not that bothered by it." Harumi noted that the blonde was obviously lying by the way she looked a little down at Mei's refusal to address the girl like a person; choosing to simply refer to Yuzu as "You" or to not even address her directly.

"Himeko, tell that girl to grow some common sense."

"She has more than you do, stray."

"No wonder why she doesn't improve. You're as terrible as she is." Harumi let out a sigh of disappointment before focusing her attention on the blonde, "Hang in there, Yuzu." She cheered before excusing herself and leaving the manor.


	3. Chapter 3: An Academic's Daily Life

The lone servant at Aihara manor was already hard at work by the time the sun broke on the horizon. As per usual, Himeko had already started her morning routine of dusting, polishing and making sure that all the lamps and lanterns were properly snuffed out before her mistress rose from peaceful slumber.

The manor was large indeed but Himeko never complained about having to do everything by herself. For one, there was nothing to complain about. Mei wasn't exactly a socialite and whatever social gatherings _did_ happen in the manor was mostly just Harumi coming for a visit. The largest number of people who've ever come to the manor was, at most, 5 and in Mei's opinion that was already too big of a crowd.

However, outside of those rare occasions, it was just the two of them and Himeko smiled at the thought of being Mei's sole companion as she threw the last handful of corn towards the chickens and headed back inside with her freshly collected eggs and milk. Coming up to the kitchen, the housekeeper thought of what her mistress would prefer for today's breakfast and she easily decided on the doctor's favorite combination of muffins, sausages and a poached egg on the side.

Himeko's brows furrowed at the thought of how badly she would be scolded if Mei's family knew what she'd been serving the only grandchild of the Aiharas. It wasn't so much that the meal was unsavory or poorly cooked. The problem was that a woman of the doctor's social standing should, at the very least, be served with a five or six-course meal and a simple meal like this would be sneered at by the vast majority of lords and ladies.

The housekeeper was and still is a loyal companion to her mistress and on multiple occasions, she even argued with Mei regarding the woman's utter refusal at living a lifestyle which suited her status. Unfortunately, the doctor preferred to live a life of social reclusion and frugality. A quick meal, lessened social contact and total avoidance of romance meant that the woman had more time to invest in her career and research. Himeko eventually found herself listening to Mei's orders and since then she's been committed to cooking her easily consumed meals aside from when they had guests over.

The sun was already high in the morning sky and Himeko was just about done with cooking breakfast when an unfamiliar 'good morning' greeted her from the kitchen door. Turning around, she found the blonde standing there with drowsy eyes but completely prim and proper... except for the distastefully worn dress that she had on.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

"No. Just sit somewhere and try not to break anything."

Himeko observed the blonde and saw how meek the girl was. Her mistress still hadn't told her what the purpose of adopting the girl was and she didn't know whether Yuzu was staying with them permanently as an additional household helper or a temporary guest, however, Himeko would be quick to refuse should the reason be the former. She was more than happy to be the only servant in the household and she was all that was needed. The fact that she knew Mei would be waking any minute now was definitive proof towards that claim.

Sure enough, the doctor's eyes slowly opened as the morning sun flooded inside the luxurious yet mostly empty bedroom and she struggled to keep her sensitive eyes from being blinded by such bright light. Mei was never an early riser regardless of how much she disliked wasting time and preferring to spend every waking moment on productivity. She was always sluggish in the morning and would often toss and turn in the comfort of her bed before the guilt of wasted minutes crept up on her and she was forced to leave the sheets.

Mei headed for the wardrobe after throwing off the duvet and stepping out of her sleeping dress. Choosing from a wide variety of clothing which she regretfully owned, the doctor gravitated towards a simpler morning gown as she had no plans on leaving her residence for the entirety of the day. She styled her hair in a chignon bun and held it in place with a single violet ribbon before heading off to the dining room where she expected Himeko had already served breakfast.

"Good morning, Miss Aihara." The blonde greeted her as she entered and Mei couldn't help but be a little surprised at the greeting.

"Good morning."

"Did you have a good night's sleep, miss?"

The doctor decided to ignore the blonde's attempts at starting a conversation. She thought she had already made it clear that she didn't want to be constantly spoken to and yet the giddy girl seemed to have already forgotten all of the previous day's conversation concerning not being too talkative towards her.

'How annoying.' Mei thought as she approached the enormous dining table which was obviously meant for a larger family instead of a lone lady. The blonde was already seated at the far corner where two plates had been served with today's breakfast and a newly brewed pot of tea along with the usual accompaniment of sugar and milk.

Mei approached her seat at the end of the table which was reserved for the head of the household. She gracefully began to eat her first meal of the day while the blonde continued speaking in between eating, showing little regard towards manners or the doctor's disinterested face.

"I believe I informed you yesterday," Mei took a napkin and wiped her lips clean before continuing, "and I will repeat this only once more. Don't be so familiar towards me." She said bluntly without care for the blonde's feelings.

"M-my apologies." The girl nervously spoke.

Mei observed the blonde while drinking her tea and waiting for Himeko to appear and take the dishes away. The girl had quieted down at this point but she was clearly fidgetting on her chair as if she couldn't take the prolonged silence; often taking quick glances at the doctor but quickly looking away every time whenever she met Mei's gaze.

"Oh, Mei-Mei. How unusual for you to still be here." Himeko spoke as she entered the room.

Usually, Mei would disappear into the study or her laboratory as soon as she was finished with breakfast but today there was something she had to discuss with her housekeeper and that was this blonde lady who she took home the previous day.

"Himeko, I wanted to inform you about her. She's a private patient of mine. Please treat her kindly and forbid her from performing any household chore or intense activities. I don't want her to be fatigued or stressed as it may hamper my assessment."

Mei considered what to call the blonde the night before and since she couldn't really refer to the girl as a guest nor a helper, the only obvious choice was to label her as an in-house patient, which she technically was.

"Understood, Mei-Mei." Himeko answered with a bit of a sneer towards the blonde.

"You, come with me."

Mei motioned for the blonde to follow her. She didn't get anything done the previous day because of how long it took just to get the girl back to the manor and how little energy she had left at that point, but today was a new day and the doctor was dead set on drafting her initial diagnosis on the blonde's curious case. Reading a few pages of the documents which the hospital relinquished in her care only served to excite her curious mind even more than it already was.

Opening the door to her laboratory, Mei invited the girl in and asked her to sit on a fainting couch while the doctor herself collected a few supplies which included her trusty notebook, stethoscope, syringe and a thermometer for good measure.

"Excuse me, can you please step on the scale?"

Mei pointed towards the object and the girl obliged by stepping on it and having her weight measured followed by her height and a few other biometrics which the doctor deemed as important or at least thought would be of use at some point.

The doctor carefully wrote down every measurement she took and noted that the blonde stood at 158 cm which partially confirmed Mei's original guess that she was of mixed ancestry but her weight only amounted to 7 stones and a pound.

"You're a little light for your height. Were you always this thin?"

"Yes, as far as I can remember..."

"I see. I'll be informing Himeko to increase your portions for the time being. Please make sure to eat properly from now on or you might throw off the data that I'm collecting. Is that understood?"

The blonde nodded at the doctor's orders and all the latter could do was to hope that the blonde would keep her word and not do anything foolish that would jeopardize her study.

The doctor poked and prodded her patient with regards to the girl's medical history. She made sure to ask the girl everything that popped into her mind on top of confirming every detail that was written on the documents she received from the hospital. When everything seemed to be in order, she decided to release the blonde and allow her to explore the manor.

After parting ways with the girl, Mei decided to head for the study and bury herself in practical research that would help her cause. There was very little to be had in the way of looking for a disease which perfectly aligned with her 'patient's' supposed condition but she wasn't labeled as an obsessive for no reason and she spent the next few hours reading every nook and cranny of the many books that were part of her collection.

Mei pinched the bridge of her nose in frustration when the clock struck three and there was still no tangible information to be found. She knew it wasn't going to be easy but to find absolutely nothing was a first for her and she contemplated between taking a short break or burning a few more hours reading additional books but the decision was made for her when a soft knock sounded from the door.

"Come in." she answered.

A crown of blonde hair emerged from the door and gave her a sheepish smile before revealing a tray which held a teapot along with a basket of scones and blueberry jam.

"You didn't come for lunch, Miss Aihara."

"I was busy, as you can see."

"Yes, Miss Himeko told me not to worry as you often skipped on meals when you're working."

The blonde approached her and softly placed the tray on a table at the center of a luxurious 3-piece set of sofas and beckoned for the doctor to join her for a snack.

"It couldn't hurt to take a break, miss."

Mei sighed and placed her books away in favor of a short break, taking the girl up on the offer of sweets and tea.

"Miss Aihara, if it's not so much to ask... would you mind telling me about yourself?"

"I'm a doctor."

"I already know that, miss..."

"Then there's nothing more to say."

Mei didn't quite understand the frustrated look on the blonde's face after she spoke and since she didn't want to bother with wasting her energy, she just allowed it to continue without giving any further thought to the matter but she was naive to think that the blonde girl would let it go.

"What I meant was if you could tell me more about your interests and such, miss."

"Books, medicine, studying and right now, you."

There was a flustered look on the blonde's face which made the doctor raise an eyebrow and inquire if she was not feeling well but the girl was quick to dismiss any further inquiries on her physical condition.

"W-what do you mean by me?"

"Your condition."

"Oh, r-right. Of course."

A few odd minutes passed and Mei once again noticed that the blonde was fidgeting uncomfortably on her seat much like she did during breakfast and this time the doctor was curious enough that she cared to ask for what was on the girl's mind.

"Is something bothering you?"

"Ah- A little... I guess."

"Out with it then." Mei spoke with a hint of power in her tone like she was trying to pressure the girl out of lying should she ever get the idea to do so.

"It's because of what Miss Harumi mentioned... that you didn't want to call me by my name and I was wondering why."

The blonde twiddled her thumbs together and Mei couldn't help but notice how nervous the girl appeared to be.

"No particular reason. I just feel no need to be familiar with you because, in the end, you're just a specimen to be studied."

That was the truth. Mei had never, not once, tried to be familiar with anyone and she would never do so out of her own accord even when it came to family. Though having gone through the very same conversation a multitude of times, she already expected the look on the blonde's face which she learned to recognize as the expression one makes when they're sad.

"I understand. I'll be excusing myself now, Miss Aihara."

The blonde quickly stood up and approached the door but Mei called out to her just before she reached it and the girl looked back at her as if expecting something.

"Don't forget to take the tray as you go." She reminded her.

* * *

Notes:

All right, everyone. Settle down. I _**DO**_ have other things to do outside of fangasming and making fanfics(friends will disagree and they wouldn't be entirely wrong)... so please be patient with updates especially because I'm only working on this one as a secondary and Caught in a Web takes precedence.

Besides, I just spent how many minutes or hours googling what 1800s British upper-class people ate and what doctors had in their artillery during the time so I'm definitely spending some time on research instead of just writing endlessly. I even converted kilograms to stones...

Anyway, slow burn chapter but I wanted to establish the difference in Mei's characterization in this one and as most of you would've noticed by now, this is nearly entirely in Mei's POV and will predominantly be the same in the future.

Honestly, I got a little too excited about writing this after getting my sights set on an opening and an ending but didn't take the time to figure out the entirety of the body. Typical me. LOL.

Cheers everyone!

* * *

Thank you to the guest that's asking everyone to chill. (￣▽￣)ゞ


	4. Chapter 4: I Don't Quite Understand

"So, tell me. What exactly did you do to Yuzu and why is she sulking like that?"

Harumi pointed at the blonde girl who was lifelessly looking outside the parlor's window and sitting a few feet away from Mei and her socialite friend. The doctor didn't have a single idea on what her friend was getting at because, to her observation, the blonde still acted the same way as she always did and there were no notable changes in their interactions. She was a little quieter though but Mei recognized that as a good thing and not whatever Harumi was implying it to be.

"I'm sure that I have no idea on what you're accusing me of."

"Really? I haven't known her for very long but this is the first time she's been so... quiet."

"Then perhaps she's just tired of your presence."

Mei spoke from experience and without regard to the fact that the majority of the world's population would gladly take Harumi as a companion over her, which she never quite understood why.

"I don't trust you one bit, Mei. Tell me everything that happened since the last time I saw you." The plum-haired girl said while casting a suspicious glance at Mei.

Harumi's distrust annoyed the raven-haired girl and as if to prove a point, she decided to tell her friend everything without leaving a single detail out. It was interesting how much her memory was able to recall when it came time to prove something and to the best of her knowledge, she recounted the events in perfect order and without missing a beat. However, Harumi's expression seemed to only grow worse as she continued speaking.

"As you can see, there is no reason I am the cause of her sulking. That is if she is, indeed, doing so." Mei confidently spoke as she finished.

"Are you serious right now, Mei Aihara?"

Mei raised one of her eyebrows at Harumi's apprehensive tone. She didn't have the faintest idea why the girl was acting as if she's done something wrong when clearly there was no issue here.

"You quite literally just told her that she's nothing more than an object of fascination to you. An _object_ , Mei. That's extremely insensitive, even for you. You of all people should know the feeling of being degraded." Harumi rubbed her temples in frustration. She already knew that Mei had... a special disability but this was reaching a whole nother level.

"Sometimes I think you're an imbecile." Harumi unintentionally let that insult slide out of her mouth and she immediately attempted to take it back but it was too late, far too late, as Mei had already heard it.

"Excuse me?" Mei furrowed her eyebrows in extreme annoyance. She prided herself on her intellect and nothing got to her more than being called an idiot over a concept she couldn't grasp. In truth, it was probably because it's the closest she would ever get to actually being stupid.

"Stop. Don't go any further." Harumi held her hand out as if to block Mei's incoming barrage of insults before the girl could even launch it.

"I'm sorry, that didn't come out quite right but you still need to apologize to her. I know you have difficulty with grasping some of the basic concepts which come naturally to the majority of people but you do _need_ to try, Mei."

The raven-haired girl tapped impatiently on the arm of her chair as she considered what Harumi said. She hated being scolded when it came to social concepts because she didn't really see a point in acting 'polite and proper' as her friend called it. To Mei honesty was the best way to associate with people and she always considered this to be an amazing gauge of a person's worth. Anyone who was repulsed by the way she spoke or how she acted could, pardon her language, piss off.

"Besides, that girl's been at that hospital through most of her life. Don't you think she may have just been happy to finally be around a woman her age?"

"No." Mei plainly stated.

"What?"

"There is no reason for me to apologize when I've done nothing wrong." Mei got up from her seat. "Now, if you'll excuse me. There are matters I must attend to that are of far greater importance than your ridiculous assumptions."

"And where are you going?!" Harumi shouted as the doctor started walking out the door.

"Hospital."

Harumi lightly pet her cheek and with knitted eyebrows, let out a sigh. Being around Mei was essentially being around a 5 year old and while she often enjoyed the girl's childish antics there were still times, like now, where she thought her skin would wrinkle at such an early age due to stress. Unfortunately, there was no point in trying to persuade Mei any further once the tantrums kicked in and Harumi was left with speaking to the blonde on the doctor's behalf.

Mei didn't give another thought towards the conversation as she sat on the coach bound for the local hospital in which she often rendered her services. London, as always, was already a busy concoction of ale, chatter, and street brawls at every corner of the city slums while the upper-class areas were no doubt filled with gossip, laughter and the sound of porcelain pieces scratching over tea time.

The doctor cared very little for the lives of those around her and how they went about spending their days. Though there was that occasional thought of how much faster the world would evolve should people stop wasting their time on these everyday familiarities and poured their all into the betterment of the future. Sadly, it seemed as though she was part of a rather small group which shared her opinion and the majority of humans would rather waste away than be productive.

Gripping tightly on the cold knob of the hospital door, Mei invited herself inside only to be greeted by the usual wails of pain which echoed through the halls. It wasn't unusual for surgeries to be performed throughout the day and the vast majority of those who underwent the knife outside of their homes were not wealthy enough to afford anesthetics.

"Good morning, Doctor." A nurse with similarly colored hair greeted Mei.

"Good morning, Nene. Is there anything new today?" Mei asked after wincing at the pain which shot through her eardrums as another death cry sounded from the end of the hall.

"I'm sorry. There's been nothing but amputations all day long. Ah, there is a letter addressed to you from Lady Emsworth though." Mei scoffed and rolled her eyes upon hearing the name.

"Let me guess. Pregnant _again_."

"You know you're the most sought after when it comes to birthing, doctor."

That wasn't exactly an overstatement. In this day and age, it puzzled Mei how the mortality rate of birthing women increased to a staggering 1:4 despite the enlightenment brought on the subject by books written by all sorts of professionals. For a few years, Mei buried herself deep in research alongside a French biologist and chemist who shared her enthusiasm in the matter of infection.

While the gentleman dabbled on pure scientific research, Mei decided on a mixture of both and experimented with different care and methodologies related to the birthing process. She started with a small idea that came from an old book which detailed the Egyptian's method of embalming: using vinegar to clean the cavity of a deceased's stomach. From then on she started using different substances on her hands before doing a procedure and found that a few substances truly did decrease the rate of puerperal fever.

There was also a few opportunities when the doctor observed her more experienced peers and noticed that there was one clear distinction in between their them - she washed her hand every single time she touched a patient and her co-doctors did not. It wasn't like she knew it was a necessity. For Mei, it was simply a nagging feeling of being 'dirty' and so she constantly _had_ to wash for her own sanitational needs.

Once she realized this the doctor decided to send a letter to her French associate and informed him of her findings. The Frenchman encouraged the young doctor to publish an official case study on the local paper and after much debate she finally conceded. What followed was years of being shunned, ridiculed and laughed at for proposing the idea that it was the doctors themselves who were spreading puerperal fever. That may as well be the nail in the coffin which Mei locked herself in - she became unwilling to associate any further with these dimwitted butchers.

"I already told them that I have no further interest in childbirth."

"But that's the only thing you're good at isn't it, Miss Aihara?"

A tall man with light brown hair appeared from the end of the hall, still bloody from the operation he had just performed. Mei immediately scoffed upon seeing him, 'Great.' she thought as the unwelcome company quickly paced towards her and Nene.

"Mr. Amemiya, is there ever going to be a day where you won't appear before me?"

"Highly unlikely. I am, after all, still after your hand. Your grandfather approves of me, you realize?" He threw a bloody rag towards Nene and ordered the girl to have his newly deceased patient be disposed of.

"Still a terrible surgeon, I see."

"Hardly, Miss Aihara. God simply judges us by our worth and that pauper wasn't deemed fit to live. I offered my charity, God did not. It's as simple as that."

"Fantastic excuse."

"Don't start with me, Mei. You have no place in judging me at a profession where you don't even belong. Rather, your place should be beside me in bed and pampering me after a hard day's work. Would you not like that?" He smiled at Mei as if he actually believed his words were romantic.

"Actually, Mr. Amemiya. I think if it was between becoming your wife and being operated on by you then I would rather choose to have you amputate every limb of mine and leave me to bleed out. That is, after all, the only thing you're good at isn't it?"

Mei returned the insult so effortlessly that a few giggles emanated from the nurses and patients that could hear the two's conversation. Amemiya's mood quickly soured. He turned towards those who laughed at him and gave them a look filled with anger, effectively simmering down the eavesdroppers.

"Enjoy your freedom while you can, Aihara. I'll be sure to treat you kindly once you're my bride." He said.

"Unfortunately, that will never happen. Neither me being yours nor you being kind. I wish you a good day, Mr. Amemiya."

With the last of her venomous words, Mei left the hospital. Her mood had now turned bitter at the altercation with Amemiya. She came all the way down here to hopefully alleviate her frustration at being scolded by Harumi but in the end, she only made it worse and didn't even find a worthy distraction.

Sitting alone in the coach did little for her sanity and all she could think about were Harumi's words: 'You of all people should know the feeling of being degraded.' She finally understood what the plum-haired girl meant by it. The circumstances may have been different but it was no secret that Mei was constantly belittled by her peers for being a woman and it frustrated her to no end.

Now her guilt was welling up inside as she thought of what she said to the blonde. It was to a point where she couldn't help but consider a proper apology despite believing that she did nothing wrong. There was also the fact that she was too proud to offer one.

"Could you stop a moment, please?" She asked the coachman after spotting a particularly colorful shop at the end of the street. She might not be willing to offer a worded apology but gifts were always an option.

A few minutes later and the doctor was back at her residence. Harumi was quick to greet her with a pompous smile after the plum-haired girl noticed a peculiar package on the doctor's hand.

"What?" Mei asked with a bit of annoyance.

"Oh? Nothing at all. She's in the garden if you're looking for her."

"I didn't even-"

"Now, now. I was just on my way out. There's no need to explain anything to me. Pretend we never saw each other if that helps."

Harumi learned through the years that whenever the doctor felt like she needed to apologize, she would buy something instead of actually apologizing properly. It was just one of those quirks that made Mei Aihara... well, Mei Aihara and the thought that her friend was a little more accepting of other's feelings made the plum-haired girl smile as she left the manor.

Mei, on the other hand, furrowed her eyebrows at her friend's audacity to spout nonsense without ever bothering to explain herself. Harumi was not entirely incorrect this time though as she was looking for the blonde girl.

"Ah! Good afternoon, Miss Aihara." The blonde greeted her as she entered the garden.

"Good afternoon." She greeted back before wordlessly handing the package to the blonde and watching the girl fumble about with the sudden gesture. She thought that the blonde was likely uncertain of why she was receiving a gift out of the blue.

"Uhm- Is it for me, Miss Aihara?"

"Yes."

"May I open it?"

"Yes."

The girl carefully unwrapped the ribbon which held the corners of the box in place and gently set it aside before revealing the contents of her present. Inside was a set of four strawberry shortcakes which were neatly placed in a row and Mei tried to determine if they were to the blonde's liking but when no words came, she decided to ask.

"I asked the shopkeeper which ones were favored by his customers and he suggested this one. Is it not to your liking?"

"No, no. That's that it, Miss Aihara." The blonde shook her head gently before gazing down at the desserts.

"Then what is it?"

"I was just thinking that Miss Harumi wasn't wrong. You are, as she says, tactless but kind."

Mei felt the slightest hint of annoyance when she learned of what Harumi had been saying behind her back. Well, Harumi also said such insults to her face and the doctor understood that it wasn't entirely false... it wasn't false at all.

"Would you care for a late afternoon tea, miss?" The girl smiled at her while holding the box of dessert in a manner which the doctor was able to see them.

"I'll have Himeko prepare the tea."

* * *

Notes:

Amemiya, perpetually the arseshit.

Anyway, there is a difference between Mei's and Amemiya's professions. Before the 19th century, there was a very distinct difference between surgeons, doctors, and apothecaries. Amemiya is strictly a surgeon while Mei dabbled in between all three.


	5. Chapter 5: Call Her by Her Name

For the past few weeks, the doctor has been doing nothing but observing the blonde for any changes to the girl's health, which to both her delight and dismay, was a staggering nothing. At this point, Mei began having thoughts of having been conned due to the lack of manifestations from the girl's supposed condition and she was already feeling a little impatient.

Strictly speaking, the girl was more than just okay, she was practically bursting with so much life that it was hard to believe any of the medical records that were relinquished to Mei by the hospital that the girl previously lounged at.

The blonde supposedly had episodes of numbness in her limbs and lightheadedness according to the medical abstract but looking at the girl who was practically floating around the manor like she was on a field trip made that hard to believe. Her doubt was so strong that she started considering whether that rundown hospital/orphanage even had a licensed physician among their ranks. Mei couldn't speak for the other days but none were present when she visited and in that she had confidence.

Checking the documents for any official signature, she noted the blonde's previous doctor to be 'Dr. Peter Williams.' She wrote the name down along with a note that reminded her to pen him a letter at a later time; hoping that the doctor could shed some light on the matter so that Mei could confirm if she had a legitimate case or Harumi managed to pull her leg yet again.

Once her concentration broke, she noticed that the room had gone silent and she darted her eyes around in search of the blonde. Though it didn't take long before she realized that the person in question was standing behind her and quietly observing her all along.

"What?" She asked the girl who nervously squirmed and noticed that she had been looking at the documents that Mei was holding.

"N-nothing. I was just curious."

Mei also noticed this about the girl. She mostly spoke fluently with others but whenever the two of them were alone and engaged in conversation, regardless of whether it's the routine questions that Mei asked or some other obscure topic brought on by the blonde, she would stutter without fail. It bothered the doctor so much that she even went as far as to write it in her notes as a possible symptom of the phantom disease that the blonde carried.

"Do you always stutter this much?" She questioned a little apprehensively.

"N-not that I know of..."

"There hasn't been a single time when you didn't stutter while speaking to me, how do you not know?" She pried deeper into the topic since at the moment it felt like this was the only actual tangible evidence that the girl was less than normal.

"That's..."

Mei watched as the blonde proceeded to nervously scratch her neck, a sign that she was feeling anxious with the line of questioning but something else caught the doctor's sharp eye and she immediately grabbed the girl's arm. Folding the sleeves of the girl's pink dress, she found an abnormally large bruise and questioned the girl about the origin of the injury.

"How did this happen?"

"I- ah, fell... down?" The blonde looked down and attempted to pull her hand away from Mei's grip as she answered.

The doctor was extremely displeased at the pathetic excuse. There was no way that bruise of this shape and size could've happened by simply falling down and she decided to catch the blonde in a lie to teach her a lesson.

"Where?"

"The stairs!"

"How many steps?"

"3?" The blonde watched her intently. "5?" Still no reaction. "10?"

"Enough, take off your clothes." Mei said sternly with full-on seriousness.

"E-excuse me?"

"Must I repeat myself again? I said take off your clothes. Now." Mei placed emphasis on the last word and she immediately started pulling at the blonde's dress, trying to get the girl to remove the articles of layered clothing that she was wrapped in.

"No, wait. Miss Aihara, please stop."

The blonde sobbed nervously at her as if she was being attacked by a rabid dog and this left Mei with a mixture of annoyance and confusion. Why was the girl being so difficult? What she didn't realize was that anyone who chanced upon the scene of her forcefully pulling off the girl's clothing would assume the same thing - she was attacking the poor helpless blonde. As fate would have it, that was exactly what Harumi thought as she entered into the study.

"AIIIIIIIIIIIHARAAAAAAAAA!" Harumi's loud voice boomed into Mei's ear and soon a strong and forceful blow landed on her head, causing the doctor to tumble over but luckily land on a nearby sofa. Massaging the part of her head that was assaulted by what she assumed was Harumi's favorite hand fan, Mei looked at her assaulter in sheer anger.

"How could you, Mei? Assaulting this poor girl." Harumi stood beside a partially naked blonde with her sleeve hanging loosely from her shoulder, prompting Harumi to cover up the exposed skin with her own shawl.

"What are you talking about?" Mei scoffed at her friend. Completely unaware of the what she did wrong.

"You were trying to strip her!"

"I saw a bruise on her arm and I wanted to confirm if there was more because she was lying about its origin." Mei glared at Harumi, disappointed that her friend thought she would ever lecherously assault someone.

"Oh..."

Silence followed as Mei continuously shot murderous eyes at Harumi while the latter tried to sheepishly play off the amount of force she had delivered to doctor's head. It didn't help when Himeko arrived and found Mei clutching at her injury. The housekeeper made sure to scratch and injure Harumi as much as she could before Mei finally couldn't stand all of the noise and ordered everyone to shut up.

An ice pack and a serving of tea later and things finally calmed down. Mei explained to Harumi that the blonde's bruises could not possibly be from falling off a flight of stairs based on the shape and size of it and with much discussion, Harumi finally agreed to try and convince the girl to allow Mei to examine her body.

"So what did she say?" Mei questioned her friend who just returned from the blonde's room.

"Well, she agreed and you should really be gentler with her, Mei. I know you're not one for nonsense kindness and sensitivity... but can you please try?" Harumi walked slowly towards Mei and plopped herself comfortably on the sofa beside Mei. She was nearly pleading at this point since this wasn't the first time that Mei had been cruelly insensitive towards the blonde.

Mei, on the other hand, slowly stood up from the sofa and gave her book to the plum-haired girl before heading through the door without bothering to answer nor acknowledge Harumi's request. The last words she heard as she exited through the large oak door were "At least call her by her name, Mei." but much like the previous statement, it went unanswered as she walked towards the blonde's bedroom.

"May I come in?" Mei asked as she knocked on the door and a soft, "Yes" answered from inside.

The doctor cautiously opened the door and closed it behind her. The rooms of the manor were designed similar to each other but this particular bedroom sported a white and pink floral wallpaper which appears to have been chosen with a younger lady in mind. The bed was a typical fourposter made of what she assumed was cherry and decorated by thick rose-colored curtains.

Off to the corner was the usual desk which was now mostly occupied by memorabilia and personal items that the blonde owned. It was odd how the girl had only been in this house for a few weeks and yet her bedroom looked more 'lived in' than Mei's. The room painted a picture of being lively, energetic and happy but that was a sharp contrast to the blonde who continued sulking on the bed - her back facing the doctor.

Even though she pretended like she didn't pay heed to Harumi's advice, Mei knew that she needed to apologize unless she wanted the blonde to continue moping around. At least now she knew that forcing the girl into anything was a bad idea and with that in mind, she decided to wait until the blonde started a conversation on her own. However, the girl must've been pretty angry because a minute or two had already passed and she didn't move nor speak.

Mei decided to wait a bit longer even though she absolutely detested wasting time. She also fought off the urge to walk up to the blonde and scold her for being so childish over the simplest of things. Sadly, she realized that such actions would most likely aggravate the situation and it didn't appear as though buying another set of desserts would fix the issue for her.

Left with no other choice, the doctor decided that Harumi's approach might be a more effective means of going about the problem and she hoped that the blonde would quickly concede into forgiving her previous actions.

"Yuzu." The name tasted bitter in her mouth. She was not fond of forming new relationships with people, platonic or otherwise. All those who remained by her side, the people she called 'friends,' were only there because they chose not to leave and not because the raven-haired girl ever cared to appreciate nor be thankful for their presence.

"I apologize about my behavior earlier. I simply wanted to check on your condition, nothing more." She plainly stated.

At the sound of her name, the blonde lifted her head and faced the doctor. She had a similar expression to what Harumi would often have whenever Mei did something that she didn't agree with, 'Ah, she's upset.' Mei realized.

"Are you upset with me?" No answer.

"Yuzu, are you upset with me?"

"Yes."

"I'm sorry." Mei apologized once more, hoping it would go through this time and they could get this over with but the girl was being stubborn and refusing to accept. She pondered on how to get the blonde to respond and came to the quick conclusion that she had next to no idea on how to deal with an adult who was throwing tantrums and so the next best option was put into action.

"If you allow me to examine you then I'll let you have one request." It was a technique often used by her fellow practitioners when dealing with children and she had no idea if it would work on the blonde but it was at least worth a try.

"Really?" The blonde turned, pouting. It worked better than she expected.

"Yes, will you let me examine you now?" She asked again.

"Promise me first."

"I promise." 'How troublesome.' Mei sighed inwardly.

When the pact was made, the blonde stood from the bed and slowly disrobed herself. Mei, being the oblivious person she was, didn't even bother to turn around nor look away, causing much embarrassment to her patient who had to spell her discomfort out for the doctor.

"C-can you turn around or at least look away?"

"Why? we're both women. I see no reason for you to be embarrassed." Cold hard logic as usual, "Rather, what's the point? It's not like I'll be closing my eyes as I examine you."

"That's... true."

Mei noticed that the blonde slumped her shoulders in defeat after the last exchange and proceeded to remove her clothing before partially covering herself up and facing the doctor. The first that she observed was the crimson that spread slowly from the girl's cheek to her neck and finally her chest and it only grew deeper in shade as Mei watched her; second was the same bruise that originally caught her attention but there was no sign of any other bruise on the front side of the girl's body.

"Can you turn around please?" She requested and the girl obliged.

Mei continued to look at the blonde's body, immediately spotting another large bruise on her back but since the girl's hair partially hid the extent of it, Mei decided to tie it up for her. Removing her own ribbon and approaching the girl, she caressed the girl's long blonde locks and tied it up in a looped ponytail. She noticed that the blonde's body had gone rigid as she did.

"Do you often get these?"

"Yes... they just appear all of sudden but they also disappear on their own."

"Excuse me." Mei apologized in advance before she touched the bruise. She wanted to check if there was any injury beneath the skin but the girl gave a high-pitched yelp as soon as her fingers made contact with the latter's skin.

"What's wrong? Did that hurt?" She asked in alarm.

"N-no. I was just surprised, that's all." The blonde hung her head low.

"Is that the truth this time?" Mei was wary of the girl's answers because she seemed to have a tendency to lie when asked about her condition and that didn't help the doctor in any way other than to hamper her progress.

"Yes, I promise."

"Good. You can put your clothes back on now."

Mei scribbled on her notebook while the blonde got dressed. The raven-haired girl carefully detailed all of her finding including the flushed skin as she noted that these symptoms were very confusing. She didn't know of a single disease that would present itself in this way and yet leave the carrier unharmed and without pain.

Rubbing the bridge of her nose, she decided to leave the hypothesis for another day, hopefully when she had more information to go on and instead chose to finish off her end of the deal, "Yuzu, about your request, what do you want?" She asked with disinterest.

"Oh, it's nothing big but if you have the time... can you teach me how to read?" The blonde asked shyly and Mei could see that tinge of red spreading across her face once more. Mei found it a little amusing that the girl would ask for something so... odd.

"Did I say something funny?"

"No, not at all." She noticed that a smile had crept on her lips and the blonde noticed it, prompting the latter to feel insecure about her request. She really did find it amusing though. She pegged the blonde for someone who would ask for something more material, like a new dress or even jewelry, as those seemed to be the common conversational topics in between Harumi and the girl.

"I just thought you would ask for something more tangible."


	6. Chapter 6: A Savant's Worry

The design of Mei's study was specifically built for her convenience and to fit her taste. For example, a regular study would be something akin to a private room where the head of the house would limit his or her business affairs. That would be to say that such a room would normally have a few bookshelves, a large desk and possibly a reception area of some sort which would allow the gentleman or lady to invite their associates in for confidential matters.

Mei's study, however, is a mixture of a library and a study. The room was large and filled with even larger bookcases which dwarfed her oak desk despite the said furniture being enormous when compared to its siblings. The alabaster walls and marble floors allowed the room to be presented as both clean and empty when in contrast to the popular wallpapers that were typical in most manors and houses.

Every corner of the room was filled with books on various topics and literature, everything from Greek tragedies to poetry and scientific studies. There was an endless wealth of knowledge to be had and even the doctor herself hadn't touched upon all of these books. Over the years she had accumulated the collection through her terrible habit of picking up whatever seemed interesting.

Unfortunately, with the amount of work that she dedicated in her studies and the time she spent galavanting around in search of answers, the end result was that some of these books would never be read.

Of course, all that is also part of the design. These books were not here for decoration nor bought just so the doctor could waste a few shillings on expensive pieces of bound paper, no, these books are here so that she may call upon them should the need for additional ideas or information arise, as it often did. Everything in this room was there for the sole purpose of being useful... except the two who were shamelessly chatting about some obscure social topic without regard for the doctor's privacy.

"Harumi, do you ever tire of bothering my peace?"

Mei removed her glasses and rubbed her temple in annoyance. Ever since the blonde arrived in her manor, Harumi's visits had grown more frequent and now it was at a point where the plum-haired girl lounged about her residence every single day without fail. She didn't mind that her friend was there, what she minded was the fact that the two girls _needed_ to be in the same room as her.

"Don't lie, Mei. I know you like having me around." Harumi teasingly replied.

"No, I most certainly do _not_."

"You're always so cruel. Is she like this with you as well, Yuzu?"

The blonde looked panicked at her friend's question and despite no verbal answer of agreement or disagreement, the reaction itself was enough of an indication that she echoed Harumi's complaint. Mei never thought of herself as a cruel or cold individual, she only did what she thought was correct and in line with what her feelings or mood was telling her. If she didn't want to be bothered, then that was exactly what she was going to say. The question of liking an individual posed no relevance to the matter.

"Speaking of which, your birthday is in two weeks time. What do you plan to do?" Harumi continued.

"Nothing."

"You can't just _do_ nothing, Mei. Your grandfather wouldn't allow it."

"Have you forgotten that I left our estate exactly because of Grandfather?"

"That fact doesn't stop him from throwing a grand ball every year, as I recall."

Harumi spoke the truth, despite Mei leaving the main family house when she turned 21, there hasn't been a single year when her grandfather didn't use her birthday as a chance to further their family influence. For a year or two, she attended just for appearance's sake but then it became unbearable to have to dance with so many gentlemen in a single night and so she stopped coming to her own party - much to the patriarch's dismay.

"Would it be rude to ask the circumstances of Miss Aihara's family?" The blonde asked seemingly nervous at the thought of poking her nose too far in the doctor's affair.

"It's not like it's a secret, Yuzu. That lady over there-" Harumi pointed her hand fan at Mei, " wanted to further her medical study and since the Aihara patriarch wasn't fond of the idea that a woman would rather have a career than start a family and produce heirs, she left. Simple as that."

"Pardon, but surely he'd understand how amazing Miss Aihara is if he knew her work."

"Yuzu, what do you imagine when you hear the word 'doctor'? Harumi asked the blonde.

"Someone who heals the sick?"

"That's correct. However, if you were to ask the vast majority of people the very same question, you would most likely get an answer like 'a gentleman in a black coat.' Of course, the question of gender is irrelevant when it comes to proficiency but there will always be those who will look down on women and call us inferior. For that very reason, our beautiful doctor over there is often overlooked in favor of her male peers. Even though she's better than most of them."

Mei met Harumi's eyes and for a split second and she saw what she thought was pity in the plum-haired girl's eyes. It would be unfair to dismiss Harumi's words, in reality, the doctor had a much smaller pool of patients than her peers and the only reason for it was because they didn't trust in her abilities - being a woman and all. Come to think of it, that may have also been the reason why she was so adamant in forcing the blonde girl to comply to her orders the other day.

"My apologies. I seem to have made the afternoon quite glum." Harumi apologized after silence fell in the room.

"Your presence is what makes the afternoon glum, Harumi." Mei retorted.

"Hush, Mei. In any case, if your grandfather is throwing you a ball then will you be taking Yuzu and Himeko along?"

Mei eyed the blonde who was sitting in a more lady-like manner than one would typically expect from a lowborn and uneducated woman. Sadly, her table manners weren't the least bit acceptable and there was much work to be done before she could ever bring the girl to an upper-class social occasion without embarrassing her family name.

"No, she's hardly trained nor educated enough to accompany me but Himeko is a different matter entirely."

It wasn't so much that she didn't want to be embarrassed, on the contrary, she wouldn't mind one bit. The real issue was that if her grandfather ever found, then she'd never hear the end of it and just thinking of all the letters he'd send made the doctor's skin crawl with discomfort.

Looking at the blonde, she noticed that the girl was wearing another expression that made it look like she was saddened by the doctor's comment. 'Why is she looking at me like that?' Mei wondered.

"I'll bring her along then." Harumi excitedly stated as she gave one loud clap.

"What are you planning, Harumi?" Mei questioned the girl's motivation.

"Why do you always assume that I'm up to no good? I am just inviting a friend to your party, that's all."

Harumi's dignified face hid a bit of mischief which made the doctor even more suspicious of the girl's motive. Harumi was never one to thoroughly plan anything. She was more of the 'act now, think later' type of person and that meant that she was probably jumping into this head first which worried Mei. The last thing that the doctor wanted was for the blonde to traumatize herself on the first party she'll ever set foot in.

"Yuzu, could you excuse us for a moment?"

"Of course, Miss Aihara."

Mei sat quietly on her chair and waited for the blonde to leave the room. Once the girl had gone, she sat back and crossed her legs as she placed her interlaced fingers on her lap. Harumi noted how threatening Mei was in her current posture. It was like sitting in front of a tiger that was ready to pounce and decimate her at any moment.

"So, what are you planning?" Mei asked the same question again.

"As I said, I'm not planning anything." Harumi played tough though she felt pressured by the oppressive look in Mei's eyes.

"You do realize that you could traumatize her if you don't take this seriously, don't you?"

Mei questioned her friend with severe condemnation and not without a good reason. While she won't be directly involved in the matter, should the blonde ever do something to displease the Aihara patriarch or disrupt the party, then all hell would break loose - the Aiharas are known for their draconian laws after all. Not ever Mei was spared when she once made a mistake during a ball. The humiliation wasn't something she'd ever wish on anyone.

"Are you worried about her?" Harumi asked with a smile on her face.

"Worried?" She echoed.

"Is our little Miss doctor finally growing some human emotions?" Harumi joked.

Mei furrowed her eyebrows at the constant barrage of comments from Harumi. She hasn't even fully comprehended whether she was worried or not and why, yet the plum-haired girl didn't bother to give her enough time before she threw another boisterous allegation. Unfortunately for Harumi, Mei's patience could only handle so much and a book came flying out of nowhere, hitting the plum-haired girl square on the face.

"What was that for?! You brute!" Harumi shouted while rubbing her nose.

"Learn to be quiet, Harumi." Mei scolded her friend.

The doctor was a little embarrassed that she overreacted. Mei was always quick to anger and violent to boot. She'd often be quick on throwing items around or losing her temper over the smallest things, usually, this landed her in a world of trouble but she had gotten better at controlling her temper over time. There were still these outbursts every now and then though.

As for Harumi, there are times when one must fight in order to preserve one's dignity - thankfully this wasn't one of those moments as the socialite knew better than to feed herself to a starving predator. There is, however, a difference between arguing and poking your nose into someone else's business and the plum-haired girl wouldn't miss this opportunity for all the jewels in the world.

"You might have broken my nose, Mei. The least you can do is tell me what's bothering you." Harumi asked while she pretended to examine her 'broken' nose.

"I assure you that your nose isn't broken. I chose a light book." The doctor tilted her head in annoyance at her friend's refusal to let the topic die.

The doctor watched as her friend's face contorted with discontent. It wasn't unusual at all for Harumi to quip once or twice during conversations but the girl's temper looked extremely potent at the moment and Mei knew it was because of the book. Sighing heavily in frustration, Mei decided that to end the pointless conversation by giving Harumi what she wanted to hear.

"She can't read, write, dance, bow nor behave properly. She can't even differentiate between the tablecloth and her napkin. Now, tell me how you plan to teach her everything in the span of two weeks? It's cruel to get her hopes up, Harumi."

There was venom in that last line. Mei almost chuckled to herself at the thought of being the one to scold Harumi about cruelty for once, not that she ever agreed to the plum-haired girl's accusation. Despite the sincerity of her concern, it was definitely gratifying to be on the 'mature' side for once.

"You worry too much. She doesn't need to learn everything, just the basics she'll need for the party and besides-"

The girl abruptly cut her speech and Mei eyed her curiously as she waited for the thought to be completed. To the doctor's dismay, the idiotic friend opened her fan and covered the lower half of her face before proceeding to pose like some up-start theater actress whilst loudly proclaiming something along the lines of 'You forget who I am m'lady.'

The entire display was ridiculous. Mei couldn't help but feel embarrassed at their friendship and be ashamed for the girl since the latter wasn't likely to even consider the act as anything other than hilarious, which in a way, it was.

"Do whatever you want, Harumi. Just don't get Yuzu into trouble." The doctor slammed her head onto her right palm as she spoke.

"Oh? First name basis now, are we?" The plum-haired girl teased. A devilish smirk on her face.

It slipped. Mei had been extremely careful not to call the blonde by her name unless she was speaking directly to the girl but now even that small barrier she had erected in between them was slowly crumbling and the doctor couldn't help but feel a slight discomfort at the thought. After all, Mei knew that naming a 'pet' was a surefire way to become attached.

"Mei? Meeeei!" Harumi snapped her finger in front of the doctor's face.

"Can you kindly learn what personal space is?" Mei swatted the girl's hand away.

"You didn't seem like you were paying attention." Harumi sighed.

"I had something in my mind."

"Is that so? Well, as I was saying, you ripped one of Yuzu's dresses and she _will_ need a new one for the party. I'd like to take her to my favorite store if you'd allow it."

There was an 'AHA' moment in Mei's head as soon as Harumi mentioned dresses and whatnot. In the end, the plum-haired girl was excited specifically because she could use the blonde as a doll to dress up. Of course, that makes sense. Harumi and Mei were both obsessives after all, which is to say that if Mei's affinity was with science, then Harumi's aligned with fashion.

"Do as you wish." She answered.

"Oh? You better get ready then, _Miss Aihara_." Harumi smiled as she clapped her hands in delight.

* * *

Notes:

I've been a little busy as of late, so there hasn't been much time to dedicate in updating both stories.

Anyway, I'm sorry but I won't be confirming anything with regards to what Yuzu has. All I can say is that I specifically chose it for a few reasons which includes the onset and a bunch of other things. I like being somewhat believable when I write these things though I may add something on top just because there's a scene that I absolutely need to write or else I'd fidget in sheer annoyance all my life.

Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7: The First Lie

Cobbled stones and greyed out walls proved to be the perfect backdrop for the colorful signs that decorated the top of each shop. Every canvas was painted beautifully for the sole purpose of stealing a potential customer's attention by explicitly choosing designs that trumped their competitors. On the other hand, there were those who had forgone using such cheap attractions and decided to place the 'cheap' on their products instead - hanging an everpresent discount sign in place of a decorative banner.

The streets weren't devoid of life either. Vibrant shades and different hues poured forth from every corner as men, women, children and even coaches all came together in perfect union; so much that it seemed like they would eventually meld into each other and create a perfectly harmonious rainbow of colors which brought life to the shopping district of London.

'How utterly sickening,' Mei thought to herself as she watched the parade of people from inside the coach. It wasn't that she was cynical or that she hated vibrant colors, it's just that the number of people was quickly making her nauseous and all she wanted to do was shut herself back at her manor. In other words, the doctor is a recluse whose entire being rejected heavily populated areas.

"Harumi, remind me again why we need to go all the way out here when you could've just called a dressmaker to the manor?"

The doctor massaged her throbbing head. The combination of the coach's constant sway to the rhythm of the road and the loud murmurs from outside were more than enough to drive her up the wall. Her headache was such that her brows couldn't move any closer together even if she had placed any effort in attempting to prove that assumption wrong.

"Because the dressmaker here is the best and I only want the best for Yuzu." Harumi proudly exclaimed as she shifted closer to the blonde and gave her a tight hug.

Mei observed the blonde who seemed oblivious to Harumi's gesture. She had her palms firmly planted on the glass pane of the coach while she gawked at the spectacle outside. The twinkle of excitement in her eyes and her wide grin made it plainly obvious that she was enjoying herself. Mei thought that, by the way she was enraptured by everything, it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that the girl hasn't had much experience in visiting bustling places like the shopping district.

The doctor was nothing short of perplexed, she didn't know how anyone could be so happy with something as simple as seeing a few shops and a crowd. It's completely mystifying to her yet beyond the confusion, there was fascination. She was fond of the way that the blonde was easily excitable and ever so simple, like the melting of snow once summer arrives.

Indeed, it was very refreshing in comparison to the usual people around her. The blonde didn't talk about politics, inheritance or any of those dull conversations though she did talk about fashion, food, and love, topics that the doctor wasn't really interested in but didn't hate as much as the former choices. There was also the fact that the girl had shown interest in the doctor's work, often asking what she was doing and listening intently as Mei explained.

"We're here!" Harumi happily shouted, pulling her companions' attention to her.

Mei looked outside and noticed a dreary old shop with the blinds pulled down. The only tell-tale sign that it was even open for business was an equally somber sign that said 'Come in.' She turned to Harumi with a puzzled expression but the plum-haired girl just smiled at her before exiting the coach and motioning for them to follow her. Mei complied, exiting before the blonde, who was a little too excited that she tripped on her own foot and nearly fell face first into the ground.

Like a gallant gentleman who was born to swoon all the ladies, the doctor reflexively acted and managed to catch the blonde's waist with her forearm, hand clutching at the girl's side in an attempt to keep the clumsy blonde stable.

"Try to be more careful." She said with an indifferent tone accompanied by a sigh.

"Y-yes. I'm sorry and thank you, miss."

The blonde shuffled and used Mei's arm as support as she struggled to straighten herself up. The girl was visibly flustered, clearly hinting her embarrassment at the disgraceful act she had just displayed in front of the doctor. Mei examined the blonde, trying to see if the girl's legs had been injured by the tumble but it seemed as though she was completely fine despite the girl's coy smile and utter avoidance of eye contact.

Nearby, Harumi was already shrieking loudly at the shop and the Mei decided to check on her friend before the girl did something criminal. Coming around the back of the coach, the plum-haired girl came into view and she was nothing short of furious while she tried to open the door, which seemed to be locked.

"Harumi, are they closed?" Mei asked.

"No, the little midget is just refusing to let us in!" She answered, seemingly directing the insult towards the door.

"Leave, we're not open. Stop causing trouble!" A voice sounded from the inside, "In any case, our clothes don't fit old maids so it's pointless to keep knocking." It continued.

"This little..." Harumi popped a vein at the insult.

A few obscenities flew out of Harumi's mouth, it was very unbecoming of a lady and a socialite but Mei wasn't one to comment on such things. It seems as though her friend had bad blood with whoever was running the shop and they weren't getting anywhere even as the minutes passed. The doctor, with her dislike of wasted time, tried to argue that Harumi can just choose another place but the latter was adamant in procuring the goods from this one.

"Excuse me," Mei knocked on the door, finally sick of having to listen to Harumi's ceaseless profanity. "Would you service us if we aren't here for Harumi's clothing?" She asked.

"Who are you?" The voice questioned back.

"I'm Mei Aihara, a friend of Harumi's but we're here to purchase a dress for someone else."

"Who?"

"Yuzu-"

Mei paused, her tongue didn't know what to say and it just occurred to her that she never caught the blonde's surname. She intended to ask but the door suddenly swung open, revealing a girl with pale strawberry blonde, nearly pinkish hair. Her azure eyes examined the two upper-class women before finally landing on the blonde behind them.

"Yuzu!" The girl shouted joyously, before pouncing on the girl.

"Matsuri? My, you've grown. How long has it been?" The blonde welcomed the hug.

Apparently, the two had been previously acquainted. Matsuri, the granddaughter of the dressmaker, had lived near the hospital where the blonde formerly lodged and the two became fast friends due to the close gap in their age. Sadly, Matsuri's parents perished and with her grandmother being her only living relative, the girl was left with little choice but to move away.

By the interaction alone, Mei could tell that the two had missed each other greatly. She wondered if she would feel the same should such distance ever be placed between her and Himeko or Harumi and the answer was obvious, she wouldn't. It's not like the other person was impossible to reach, they're not dead and as long as they aren't dead then there's always a chance to meet again - or so Mei would like to believe.

"Make yourselves comfortable while I go call granny." The girl said as she welcomed them into the shop, "Except you. I still don't like you." She sneered at Harumi before disappearing through the back door.

"That little brat..." Harumi's eyebrow twitched in annoyance as she entered.

The shop looked completely different on the inside; the walls were painted white and accompanied by a pale shade of wooden flooring, something akin to Birchwood. At the center of the shop was a raised platform where three mannequins stood, completely clothed in fine ball gowns. The same thing was true for the entirety of the right wall, except it displayed a mixture of day dresses and a few others which were made of silk and satin, more suited for the evening rather than a social occasion.

On the left side was a spot where the eyes and the body could rest; that side hosted the accessories such as gloves, hats, scarves, and bonnets, plus a lone couch which was presumably placed there so that a gentleman could rest his legs whilst waiting for his lady. At the moment, however, no gentlemen were present and the doctor quickly took the opportunity to sit down.

"Why exactly does that girl hate you so much?" Mei asked.

"I commented on a ball gown once and pointed out that it was sloppily made compared to the usual ones. Miss Mizusawa told me that her granddaughter was the one who made it and it seems as though I've been hated me ever since."

Mei lost her focus on Harumi when she felt a soft pressure coming down on the cushion. The blonde had made herself comfortable beside the doctor and clutched tightly at the couch while her gaze focused on the floor. Mei immediately recognized the nervous demeanor, having seen it one too many times. The girl was simply a worrywart and she didn't care enough to hide it.

"Yuzu, what's wrong?" Mei asked.

"I-is it really okay for me to buy a dress?" The blonde answered with a question, her voice taut.

"I don't see why not?"

"It's just that... they're expensive and I-"

"If you're worried about money, then I suggest you ease your mind of it. Don't underestimate the Aihara and Taniguchi name, Yuzu." Harumi intervened, having heard the conversation.

What followed was a lengthy conversation in between the plum-haired girl and the blonde, one arguing on not wanting to be a burden while the other tried to convince the other of the fact that this amount of money meant very little to both herself and the doctor. Mei decided to stay out of the argument, she felt no need to voice her opinion as she trusted that Harumi was more than capable of handling the issue.

Disappointingly, it wasn't until Matsuri returned that the whole ordeal was finally resolved, "If you two are going to argue for all eternity, then how about you let the quiet woman over there decide on which ones to get?" she offered to Mei's surprise. The entire thing just got more troublesome for her but the blonde seemed to be more comfortable with this arrangement so the doctor agreed.

Getting up from her comfortable spot, she called the blonde to come and follow her around the shop so they could discuss which ones were to the girl's liking and which ones weren't. The blonde complied and they started looking at the wide variety of designs and fabrics that were available. Having looked at the displays, Mei immediately understood why Harumi insisted on this shop despite the rude behavior of the owner's granddaughter; everything from the hem of a skirt to the details placed on the accessories was immaculate. Even the doctor, with her perfectionistic tendencies and love for all things organized, couldn't find a single thing out of order. If there was ever anything she would complain about, it was that the dresses were too colorful though that was a matter of preference.

"Do you have a color that you prefer?" She asked the blonde after preferences came to mind.

"Yellow or Blue?" The girl looked up as if trying to remember something, "They remind me of a sunny day." She continued.

"That's a very-" _childish,_ the doctor thought internally but decided to keep it to herself "interesting way of putting it."

Darting her eyes around the room, Mei tried to look for any yellow or blue dresses which would suit the blonde perfectly. According to her own taste, she would prefer a blue dress which would accentuate the girl's blonde hair instead of a yellow one which was more likely to drown it, however, the dress that caught her eyes was something else entirely.

"We'll take this one." Mei said, not bothering to ask the blonde for her opinion this time.

The dress in question wasn't something made to be worn on formal occasions but the moment Mei laid her eyes on it, she knew that it was the one she wanted to get for the girl. The entirety of it was light pink except for some parts like silken high-collar which wrapped around the neck, delicately bunched up in a loose way, the belt which helped to show a lady's figure and the chiffon sleeves that started from the elbow down and finished with semi-circular embroideries at the end - all of which were white. The dress also came with a capelet which, much like the rest of it, was mostly pink save for the bottom lining which also had the same embroidery as the sleeves.

"Oh? You've got a good eye, miss." The dressmaker's granddaughter commented before taking the dress down and giving it to her grandmother.

A few more moments were spent discussing over what else to get the blonde, which mostly comprised of Harumi picking everything she liked regardless of everyone else's opinion. Once everything was said and done, they totaled a staggering number of fourteen dresses for everyday wear, four ball gowns, and five evening gowns - courtesy of Harumi's persistence and Mei's funds. It would be a few days before the dresses could be altered to fit the blonde but time wasn't of the essence and they could afford to wait.

Once their business at the shop was done, the three decided to head for the outdoor bazaar on Harumi's suggestion. Mei was absolutely against it at first. She didn't even like riding through that large crowd, much less mingle with it, but the talk of foreign books and instruments were enough to pique the doctor's eccentric nature and she followed Harumi through the streets like a child looking for buried treasure.

The trio went from stall to stall, mostly for items which Harumi and the blonde were intrigued by. Mei, having no interest in the mundane, simply stood by the sidelines and watched the two... well, mostly the blonde who she couldn't help but stare at because the girl was constantly fixing her long blonde hair every time she bent down to look at something; her long blonde locks curtaining in front of her face in the process.

The doctor looked around in an attempt to find something that would be of use to her and she found it a few stalls away from where her companions stayed. Approaching the stall, she was immediately greeted by the young girl who she assumed was the shopkeeper's daughter - seemingly a too young to be the actual one. She spoke to a girl, took her recommendation and aptly paid for her purchase.

"Thief!" She heard a man shout, prompting her to look towards the source.

"Ah... he's at it again." The girl said and noticing the doctor's questioning look, she expanded on her comment, "There's a guy a few stalls away from here. He's always accusin' girls of stealin' from his stall whenever he fancies 'em and they look incapable of payin'... well, I guess you'd understand what comes after that."

"I'm quite sure that I don't." Mei raised her brow in confusion.

"Ah! I should've guessed yer from the upper-class, miss. To put it simply, they pay with the only currency they have... their body. Disgusting, ain't it? The man, I mean. Best stay away, miss."

That advice sounded plausible and Mei had the right mind to follow it since she didn't want to be involved in something so inconvenient, however, Harumi's voice tearing through the crowd made her double back and pace towards the growing number of bystanders. The doctor pushed her way across the sea of people, making sure to say the usual 'excuse me' and 'pardon me' along the way until she finally got to the source of the commotion.

There, at the center of the crowd, stood a man who was shouting vulgar obscenities at the blonde who sat helplessly on the floor and Harumi who was beside the girl shouting back at him. Mei assessed the situation and from what she heard, she was sure that the man was accusing the blonde of shoplifting while Harumi defended the girl against his accusations.

"What did she even take from you?" Harumi screamed.

"A brooch made of silver! Cost a pretty penny that one does! And this wench pocketed it from right under me' nose!" He screamed back.

"I didn't take anything! I don't even have a place to hide it!" The blonde defended herself

Mei watched the scene unfold, unsure if she should step in or not. She gauged what she could do to help the situation and if would only make things worse but the girl's comment about how the man asked women to pay with their bodies, coupled with the licentious way that he had been gazing up and down the blonde, spurred the doctor to abandon her thoughts and take action.

"Pardon me," she directed at the man, "however, do you have proof of your claims?"

"'course I do! I know me' stocks, miss! I know when some thievin' whore takes from me'!"

"And how much does the brooch cost?" The doctor asked, her voice becoming a little tense as her temper rose.

"'Round 20 quid, ma'am. I can't let it go, ye' see?" He scratched his head and turned away in an attempt to hide the wry smile on his face.

"I see, you wouldn't mind if I called the bobbies, would you?" She answered him.

"What?! Ye' want yer friend jailed or somethin'?!"

"No. I just prefer to deal with this in a lawful manner."

The man felt pressured by the doctor's words. She became increasingly confident in the blonde's innocence as the time passed without any smart comments from the accuser.

"Tsk. Whatever. Just leave, I'll let it slide." He finally answered, turning his back and trying to leave with his dignity intact but the doctor couldn't let that happen after the insults he threw around.

"Hold on," she called him and as soon as he turned, she threw exactly 20 quid on the ground, "I imagine you must be in desperate need of money if you're accusing innocent people of thievery. So, here, take it and grovel on the floor like the pathetic beast that you are." She told him with cold and condescending eyes.

The crowd watched in silence at the spectacle she had put on. In hindsight, it may have been better to have just let it go but she couldn't. Mei never once thought of her fortune as leverage against others but she gladly made the exemption this time. Whatever she did to the man, he deserved it and the doctor didn't have a single shred of guilt towards that fact.

"Are you two all right?" She extended her hand towards the blonde, helping her up.

"Y-yes, Miss Aihara. I'm sorry for causing trouble." The blonde sounded glum.

"WHAT?! What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong! We should sue that man!" Harumi screamed furiously while dusting herself.

"Let it go, Harumi. I think he learned his lesson." Mei looked sternly at the blonde, "And you, I've told you time and time again that you should try to be a bit more careful." She lectured the blonde without a shred of sympathy and the girl hung her head low.

The ride home was quiet. It seemed like the blonde was quite shocked by the incident and wasn't feeling up to par on joking around with Harumi, who herself was also silent. Mei couldn't have been happier at this moment as she finally had her much deserved peace, though she wished that the precursory event wasn't something so traumatizing.

Upon their return to the manor, Mei returned to her study while the blonde retired to her quarters. It would still be some time before dinner was served and Mei could definitely catch up on some research she had been doing in relation to the girl's condition. So far no other symptoms had presented itself and she didn't even see a few of the ones that were explicitly stated in the blonde's file.

She had considered the idea of hemophilia, however, that was quickly debunked when she made a small cut on the blonde's finger and it quickly clotted like it would on a regular person. There were a few others that she considered but the symptoms the girl had didn't match up and she reached the end of her current limit. The doctor remembered that there was someone in Germany who had been religiously studying cell biology. Sadly, his study was far from proven or complete.

The doctor was forced to pause when a tingling sensation settled on her face. She removed her glasses in an attempt to rid herself of the discomfort; no matter how long she used the instrument, she could never get used to it and after a while, it would always disturb her concentration. She tried going back to work but her focus had already scattered and she could no longer continue.

Gazing up at the clock, she realized that it had been several hours since they returned to the manor. She didn't even notice the time pass by since the blonde was nowhere in sight and didn't come to bother her during the few hours she had been in the study. Mei wondered if she had been too hard on the girl or if she didn't get her point across when she scolded her. It seemed like all the doctor knew how to do was to scare the girl and she wasn't very proud of that.

With a sigh of defeat, Mei eyed the small package which contained the item she had bought from the bazaar. She meant to give it to the girl earlier but circumstances kept her from doing that and she completely forgot about it afterward. It definitely hasn't been a good day for anyone.

Nothing changed through the majority of dinner. The blonde kept her eyes low, she didn't speak and she barely touched her food; choosing to simply swirl her mutton soup around instead of consuming it. Himeko looked extremely displeased at the fact that the girl had the audacity to act like her cooking wasn't good enough but Mei knew that the reason was probably because of what had transpired that afternoon.

Having decided to take it upon herself to resolve the issue, Mei whispered to Himeko and asked her to give them some privacy so she could speak to the blonde about her attitude. Of course, Himeko eagerly complied. Her assumption must've been that the doctor was going to give the blonde a stern scolding.

"Yuzu, is something the matter?" Mei asked as she cut into her portion of roasted lamb.

"No, Miss Aihara." The blonde answered, her voice obviously devoid of life.

Mei observed the blonde, her luscious locks of golden hair almost touching the soup as she continued to swirl it around. The doctor couldn't help but sigh at the sight before her, all the cheerfulness had gone from the girl. Even Harumi was easier to handle than this, she thought to herself as she got up from her seat and stood behind the blonde.

"I meant to give you this at the bazaar but... unsavory events happened." Mei gently caressed the girl's hair, making sure to capture every strand that hung loosely in front of her face. The blonde seemed to have jumped at suddenly having the doctor touch her but Mei didn't trouble herself with it and resumed gathering the girl's hair then tying them all up at the back. She made sure to only tie the upper portion which created a half-up, half-down style.

"I saw a few women style their hair this way and I thought it might suit you and at the same time prevent your hair from constantly falling down your face." She continued while she tightened the bow on the blonde's hair, "It's not much but I hope it's to your liking. Also, about what I said at the bazaar. I know it wasn't your fault. I simply wanted to remind you to be more careful."

The blonde didn't answer but when Mei was about to retract her hand from the girl, the latter caught it and held tightly onto her which somewhat startled the doctor but she didn't pull away. Instead, she decided to wait for whatever the girl was planning on doing.

"Miss Aihara, I'm sorry." The girl spoke, "I heard from Miss Harumi... about you, the type of person you are and how you mean well despite the crude and unrefined manner in which you deliver your thoughts."

Hearing the words 'crude' and 'unrefined' made Mei's patience crumble like a piece of biscuit that was crushed by a mallet. She wasn't sure if the blonde was sincerely apologizing about something or if she was just making fun of her. The doctor was partly tempted to return the favor and throw a few insults right back at the blonde but she decided not to act in such a childish manner.

"However, I didn't believe that. I kept taking your words at face value, constantly being hurt by them without understanding their meaning and every single time you apologized despite being faultless."

Mei was extremely glad that she didn't have an outburst and allowed the girl to continue speaking; she would've made an utter fool of herself is she had. Though that short-lived victory was soon destroyed by the fact that she didn't really know how to react to someone who was pouring their heart out to her. The blonde's grip grew tighter as she started to visually shake. Profanities Mei could handle with no problem at all but this was completely uncharted waters.

"I've become afraid of disappointing you in fear that you'd grow tired of me, Miss Aihara. Comedic, isn't it? I was _purchased_ by Miss Harumi for the sole purpose of being studied by you and yet the lab rat, despite knowing her circumstances, grew attached to her owner's kindness and became terrified of being abandoned."

The blonde gave a sarcastic laugh which masked the faint sobs that emanated from the girl. Mei's heart pounded in her chest, causing her a great discomfort. She still didn't know what to say or what to do and once again she became aware of the things that came naturally to others but escaped her grasp. She thought to herself if she would throw the blonde away once she was done with her and truthfully, she didn't know the answer to that. She was fond of the girl's refreshing personality but was that enough to make her keep the blonde around? She didn't know.

"Yuzu," She called out to the sobbing girl, "I wouldn't abandon you just because you disappoint me and I can't comprehend you." She returned the gesture and gripped tightly at the blonde's hand in an attempt to reinforce her words.

Mei closed her eyes and clenched her jaw; she just told her first lie, though it wasn't really one per se. It wasn't even a white lie because the circumstances around her words were vague. She didn't think she would ever abandon someone for the reasons she gave but she didn't say that she wouldn't abandon her for a different reason and so she didn't really lie.

"Thank you, Miss Aihara. You truly are very kind." The blonde continued sobbing.

The doctor tried to reason and convince herself that her words weren't a lie but it still left a bitter taste in her mouth, one that she wouldn't be able to wash off.

* * *

Notes:

Screw the word count. I've been religiously keeping my chapters short but I didn't want to cut this chapter in half so... here we are with a wall of text.

Well, it's not as long as other people's chapters but come ooooooon. How do you guys proofread so many words? I spent the entire day trying to proofread this and all I ended up doing was procrastinating and looking at memes with a ratio of 2 hours:3 minutes and I admit openly that the larger time was spent on memes not the proofreading.

* * *

Sorry if I haven't been updating this one. The other one's technicalities have been preoccupying my memory since I don't make notes and I have to scour my brain for the information I previously thought of. Having to think of plot A and plot B really makes me lose track of everything and basically, I'm that lazy and disorganized classmate who always says 'I don't need to write it down, I'll remember it.' but never does.


	8. Chapter 8: Between These Pages

Mei happily reveled in the comfort of her study; her delicate body comfortably supported by her favorite upholstered chair, while her mind was cradled by the endless information which she consumed from the numerous books piled neatly beside her. It was truly a glorious day to be alive and that was made even truer by the pleasant scent of apples that wafted from the fireplace.

September had already rolled in and with it came temperatures that lessened as the days passed, fostering the need to put the dry wood to good use. At first, Mei didn't understand why Himeko was so adamant in the use of apple wood for the fireplace. She thought it was rather counterproductive to cut down fruit trees, plus she fancied the smell of burning Yew, however, after getting a whiff of its faint scent reminiscent of the sweet fruit it produced, she couldn't help but allow herself this vain want.

The doctor took a sip of her tea and continued reading the book that lay on her lap. It was a book which contained the flora and fauna of the American land, particularly Florida and Carolina, plus the crown colony, the Bahamas. While there were a lot of fascinating and curious animals to be noted, the doctor was more interested in the plants that grew indigenous to the Bahamas; Gumi eli, Sea grape, Goat's foot, Sea Oxeye, all oddities when taken in by their names, but the doctor's excitement stemmed from the possible medicinal properties of these plants.

For a while, she contemplated on possibly visiting the island and she had gone around planning how she would go about procuring samples of the said plants, but this idea quickly dissipated when she realized that it would be nearly impossible to take the blonde along with her. The trip might aggravate the girl's condition and she thought it would be negligent to leave the girl without knowing what she was afflicted with... moreover, Himeko would never allow it. And so, the Bahamas became a dream to be lost in her endless thoughts.

"What might you be reading, Miss Aihara?" A gentle voice beguiled the doctor to leave the world inside of her books.

"Just a book that details plants and all manner of beasts in foreign lands." She answered while she flipped to the next page and glanced at the text. The doctor sighed inwardly, this has been happening a lot lately, she becomes so preoccupied with reading and experimenting that the time simply escapes her notice. She took a moment to address the change in her behavior and quickly came to the conclusion that it was most likely because no one has been around to bother her.

For the past couple of days, Harumi hadn't visited nor bothered the doctor. Others would probably be bothered by that but not Mei, in fact, she never loved her friend more than she did now. Harumi, as she promised, was fetching the blonde on a daily basis and keeping the girl busy with lessons until late in the afternoon, which meant that the doctor had more time to go about her business without any disturbance.

"That sounds interesting, Miss Aihara." The blonde smiled before slowly lowering herself beside the doctor, much to the latter's annoyance.

"This is a single seater, Yuzu." Mei grunted as the blonde shifted closer to her so they'd fit.

"That's true, Miss Aihara... but-" The girl lifted Mei's arm and wrapped it around her waist, she then lay her head a little closer to the doctor's chest and stretched one of her arms out so that her elbow wouldn't dig into the doctor's side. Taking the book in her hands, the blonde offered one side to the doctor, giving her a pleading look as she did.

Sadly, despite her intellectual capacity, Mei wasn't one to easily pick-up on these gestures. And so with a raised brow and uncertainty in her voice, she decided to verbalize her confusion.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Hold onto this side, Miss Aihara." The blonde offered one side of the book again.

"Why?" The doctor waited for a sufficient answer. She saw no valid reason for them to be entangled in such a way just to read a book, but the blonde was obviously not going to give any answers - not with that pout and the way she childishly kept pushing the book towards Mei's hand. Hence, with a sigh, the doctor obliged and held onto the side which she was offered.

"See? It works if we do it this way." The girl happily stated, "And like this, I can flip the page with my free hand!" The girl merrily turned the page back and forth to prove her point.

Mei frowned as she looked down on the golden crown that pressed on her ever so lightly. The blonde had been getting bolder since the event that took place in the dining room and every day since then, she'd constantly invade the doctor's personal space. It was as if she thought she belonged within such close proximity; like she was one with the air that Mei needed to breathe. Honestly, the doctor thought she'd be more suffocated by this new arrangement but in the cold London evenings, she found her warmth rather... pleasant.

"c-c-co-n"

The doctor looked down on the girl who was visibly having a difficult time reading the word on her book. The blonde, having asked Mei to teach her how to read, had been constantly practicing whenever she could. The doctor thought it was highly impressive that the girl had learned the basics in a few short days but that might partly be because it's her first language. Being able to speak meant she only needed to learn which letters were which and how they were pronounced.

"This word, you can pronounce it in two ways: K-U-N-K, similar to how one would pronounce 'skunk' but without the S. Or you may pronounce it as K-U-N-CH, similar to the first, but with a CH, like Church." Mei made a show to verbalize the word slowly so that the blonde could pick it up. She made sure to teach her the rolls of the tongue and where to express the stresses.

"Conch." The blonde said with a worried look on her face, "D-did I get that right?" She stammered as she shifted in her seat in order to look up at the doctor, seemingly looking for approval.

"Yes, that's lovely." Mei praised the blonde, she was quite taken by the girl's dedication. It reminded her a little of herself when she was younger, minus all the frills and overflowing positivity.

Now that she thought about it, this 'obsessive' drive of hers, as Harumi often called it, began from a very young age. At first, it was simple things like the name of flowers, then the variety of trees, eventually she found herself delving into poetry, literature, music, and finally, medicine. Her grandfather always proudly showed off how intelligent she was for her age, though quite frankly, she believed that intelligence was something more than just book acquired knowledge.

In a manner of speaking, how does one quantify intelligence? By one's educational attainment? How fast one learns? And what of the artists and the composers? Are they not intelligent in their own way despite not knowing the all-encompassing complexity of mathematics? The way the doctor saw it, if one tried hard enough, they would eventually succeed. Intelligence had very little bearing on the matter and no other example could be more appropriate than the blonde who sat beside her - painstakingly reading every word with excitement burning in her eyes.

"What?" Mei asked when she noticed that the girl had abandoned reading in favor of staring at her, giving the doctor a tinge of discomfort. She didn't mind being stared at, in fact, she was used to it but no one has ever looked at her at such close distance.

A wide smile stretched on the girl's lips while the doctor was flushed into inner turmoil. She wasn't sure why the blonde was behaving this way but for some reason, it was really getting on her nerves, like she was being ridiculed or something along those lines.

"Nothing." The blonde answered, grinning as she returned to her reading, "It's just that... you tend to smile at the oddest things, Miss Aihara." She continued as she flipped the book onto the next page. Blissfully unaware of the confusion she painted across the doctor's features.

Just like this, the days passed. The blonde would be off in the morning, leaving the doctor to her own devices until the quiet setting of the sun and once she returned, they'd spend the rest of the evening reading a book together. There were days when Mei would push the girl off of the chair, annoyed that her shoulder would constantly be digging into the doctor's torso, but there were also days, much like this one, where the doctor would simply sigh and allow the girl to do as she pleased.

Reading wasn't always on the itinerary either, sometimes the blonde would simply gaze at the illustrations on a book and ask the doctor to tell her about what animal or plant it was. Often times the doctor narrated everything she knew about the topic at hand, but there were also times when she felt annoyed at the fact that the girl was tiring her out instead of reading for herself.

Come dinner, the doctor watched as the blonde carefully cut into her herb crusted lamb chops and delicately lifted her fork all the way up to her mouth, a bit of sauce drizzling down as she bit into the meat. Surprisingly, the girl took a napkin and wiped her lips clean, a stark difference from how the blonde usually ate like a rabid dog on a wild hunt - food and crumbs strewn about everywhere.

On closer observation, she realized that the blonde had learned enough to safely attend any formal dinner without letting on to her social standing. She looked like a prim and proper lady, save for the still worn-out clothing, which would be remedied soon. Of course, there were still some things here and there, like how she struggled with which cutlery to use for which course.

'The chatterbox is good for something after all," She thought to herself as she dug into her own meal. Clearly, Harumi was a better tutor than she originally thought, and in light of the blonde's spectacular transformation, she couldn't help but gain a newfound appreciation for the plum-haired socialite.

The mornings quickly turned into evenings, and like this, they inched closer to each other. It didn't matter if it was the 'Good morning' that never failed to reach her ears or the short yet meaningful evening conversations that the two shared, every encounter made the doctor feel just a tiny bit more comfortable in the girl's presence.

Indeed, the doctor didn't mind this new arrangement at all. Not just the conversations with the blonde, but also the time she was able to spend on her self and in her interest. Her happiness was such that she didn't even notice how the days flew by and just like that, the day of her birthday swiftly approached.

"Miss Aihara, will you really be leaving this early? It's still three days away, correct?" The blonde asked as she bent down and wrapped her fingers around the handle of a particularly large suitcase. She heaved and pulled as she called upon whatever strength she could muster but the luggage was obviously far too heavy for her scrawny body.

"Yes, I'll need to discuss some matters with my grandfather before the party." The doctor said as she checked on the contents of her other suitcase, flipping from book to book as she did. She would need to stay at her family home for a while longer than planned and she wanted to make sure that she had everything she needed - which meant her ever trusty medical books and a few other things not typically brought on a trip.

A grunt of frustration called Mei's attention to the blonde who was still in a bitter power struggle with her largest suitcase. The doctor sighed as she remembered how utterly stubborn the girl could be with these things. Obviously, she wasn't strong enough to carry the suitcase by herself, but she would probably spend an impressive amount of time trying to prove that fact wrong.

"Leave that, Yuzu. The coachman will fetch it." Mei said before returning to her inspection.

"I can do this." The blonde gave another grunt of frustration as she pulled on the handle, lifting the suitcase an inch off the ground for a second before her arms gave out, "See? I've almost got it." She smiled, ever so determined.

The doctor, having enough of the girl's shenanigans, approached her and gently pulled on the blonde's hands which were still tightly wrapped around the handle of her archnemesis, "That's enough Yuzu. You're going to hurt yourself." She lightly chided in a mellow tone.

"Y-yes!" The girl quickly withdrew her hands as if the doctor's touch electrified her.

It was peculiar, the blonde had no issues sitting beside her or even laying her head on the doctor's shoulders. Curiously, every time Mei returned the favor, even if it's a simple touch of the hand or a gentle pat on the shoulder, the girl would immediately... or instinctively flinch. She would then proceed to stutter, swiftly followed a prompt excuse and an abrupt leave.

To Mei, it was a bittersweet discovery, something that could be absolutely spectacular whenever she needed some privacy. The doctor would even shamelessly admit that she abused this weakness, but it also had its drawbacks, which is equally aggravating. Examining the girl proved to be increasingly difficult as it took so much time just to remove a single article of clothing. In addition, she would often demand that the doctor turn around or keep her eyes closed, despite their previous conversation on that having no point whatsoever.

Furthermore, every time she touched the blonde's bare skin, the girl would immediately yelp and when pressed further on the reason she would answer that there was no pain and she was simply 'startled.' Mei didn't know what was wrong and she was not very fond of the blonde's answer either, her hands weren't even that cold and so there should be no logical explanation for such a reaction.

On the positive side of things, the bruises which she previously found had been healing and most of them were already gone, save for the large ones which were still in the process of healing. Whether that's truly a good thing or not is left up to debate; To think positively, the bruises have healed yet on the other side of that coin, the doctor didn't know what caused them in the first place.

"Mei-Mei, the coachman is here. Where's your luggage?" Himeko asked as she entered into the study in pure confidence, making sure to look at the blonde and shoot a sneer at the girl before smiling at Mei.

"These please." The doctor pointed at two large suitcases standing side-by-side on the floor. She then glanced back at the door as if to wait for someone other than Himeko and the coachman to appear, but none came.

"Is Harumi still not here?" She asked as she furrowed her eyebrows. Not like she had any right to complain considering she's the one who's asking for a favor, but such concepts are lost to the doctor. In her mind, if Harumi had never bothered with inviting the blonde then none of this would've happened - hence she didn't truly owe the girl anything.

"I'm here, I'm here. Himeko simply wouldn't let me enter, she was spouting something about not wanting to add more disturbances in the house or whatnot. I have no idea what she means, if that helps." Harumi quipped. She was well aware that Himeko considered Yuzu to be a 'disturbance.' Well, it's more like she considered anyone except Mei to be as such.

"Good. I thought there would be a need to teach you a lesson in punctuality." Mei deadpanned at her friend who was visibly terrified at whatever was implicated by those words.

The doctor approached the blonde and took notice of the crooked ribbon that sat on the girl's collar. With a quick hand and a gentle tug, the doctor straightened out the loose fabric as she addressed the girl, "Yuzu, behave while I'm away. Don't cause Harumi any unnecessary headache, is that understood?" She gave the girl a stern look as she finished fixing the ribbon.

"Yes, Miss Aihara." The girl gave a wide grin of assurance.

"I'll see you soon." She acknowledged the blonde's answer, then shifted her attention to Harumi who was busy with teasing Himeko over her perfect curls and small stature, "And you, Harumi. Don't get Yuzu into trouble." She said to her friend.

"More like, don't cause trouble for Himeko." The plum-haired girl bit back but her clever remarks fell on deaf ears.

* * *

Notes:

Hello, I haven't forgotten about this one. I was just... taking my time and someone (elliehandesu) decided to go fetch me from my other fanfic. _Cough_. I was not being lazy. Totally not. Nope.

The party will be on the next chapter. Please don't kill me how historically inaccurate mentioned scores on that one will be.

I didn't want to make this a long chapter, mostly because I don't like making scene transitions.

ANYWAY

HAPPY HALLOWEEN! o(^▽^)o

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Guest 1 - I assure you, it won't be Moulin Rouge... OR WILL IT?!

Steph - I started this with the intention of eventually rolling out some fluff once the setting is right and I'm not sure how much plot will go into that. By Twice, do you mean the Korean girl group? If yes, then I'm... er, acquainted with them. I say that because I don't know much about them outside of that one archery video and the apology their member gave China (which was weird, but okay).

Guest 2 - Depends on how you'll see me as in regards to those options. I'll lie and choose the one that paints me in a better light. I like pretending that I'm a nice person. ( ╹ਊ╹)


	9. Chapter 9: May I Have This Dance?

"What are you doing, little one?" A woman with long brown hair approached a young Mei who fiddled around with a few blue flowers that had recently bloomed in the cold weather, "You're not plucking the flowers, are you?" The woman hunched over and gave the little girl a gentle smile.

"I'm not, Mother. I'm just observing them." The girl kept herself seated atop grass that had begun to dry, not that it bothered nor deterred the girl from pursuing her current activity. She poked and prodded the little blooms, turning towards her mother as she realized that she conveniently left that part out when she answered her question.

"And maybe touching them a little..." She spoke with a hint of insecurity. Looking up, she quickly scanned her mother's face for any signs of an oncoming lecture or approval, but all she found was a loving gaze looking back at her.

"As long as you don't pluck them or?..." The woman quickly answered when she realized that her adorable little daughter had once again forgotten that people weren't mind readers. One of these days, she would need to teach the young girl that she needed to verbalize her questions instead of blindly waiting for an answer. Of course, as a mother, she knew her daughter well and thus could provide answers to unspoken questions.

"...Or Grandfather will scold me again." The little girl sighed knowing full-well how harsh the Aihara patriarch could be, "Does he hate me, Mother?" The girl asked after contemplating on the reason why her own grandfather was so harsh in dealing with her. She had seen how the other children were pampered by their respective grandparents, but not hers. He never spent time with the young Aihara, never paid attention to her, and whatever little conversations they had were mostly him lecturing the young girl.

"Of course not. Your grandfather is just... hmm, how shall we put it?" The woman straightened herself and offered a hand towards the young girl who was still seated, "Strict?" She tilted her head as if to ask Mei what she thought about that description, but the girl didn't answer so she thought of a way to convince her daughter that she wasn't hated.

"Do you like these flowers, Mei?" She asked with a smile as she pulled the girl up on her feet.

"Yes, they're very pretty... no, they're very beautiful." The girl quickly corrected herself.

The woman chuckled at her daughter's silliness, "Do you know what our family name means in your grandfather's native language?" The woman patiently waited for her daughter to answer. She knew very well that it would take some time as the girl had always been stubborn about these things.

The little girl furrowed her eyebrows, clutching tightly at the intricate design that was embroidered into her mother's gown. She thought and thought about any clue which could lead to an answer, but none came. Eventually, she gave up and admitted defeat.

"No..." The young one said with dejection, eyebrows still furrowed in frustration.

"It means 'Indigo Field,' much like the color of these flowers that bloom in winter. Your grandfather had them planted when you were born." The woman smiled as she took her daughter's hand, urging the young girl to walk beside her, "Let's head inside, shall we? It's getting a little chilly."

"Mother..." She tugged at her mother's hand.

"Hmm?" The woman looked down to meet her daughter's begging eyes, "What is it?"

"What's it called?... the flower." The girl asked, returning her gaze into the rows of deep blue flowers that sprung from the center of the courtyard.

"They're called-"

Mei's eyes flung open and swiftly scanned the unfamiliar yet nostalgic room that laid bare before her. Lifting her head off of the pillow, she was met with a variety of preserved flowers and butterflies hung on the wall at the opposite side of the bed. At that point, she remembered that she was not in her own home, instead, in her family home which she had stayed in for the past day and a half.

Realizing that she was still in hell, Mei bitterly dropped her head back into the comforts of the bed - her long raven hair tangled across the sheets. This visit was all she had imagined it to be, if not worse. Having to sit on the train for nearly three hours, then another 30 minutes on the coach, and don't even get her started on the length of time in which the servants insisted on welcoming back their 'beloved lady' as they referred to her.

It was none the better when her grandfather finally got a hold of her. His lectures were still as long as she remembered them to be, but what really got into her nerves was the old man's unparagoned tenacity in inquiring about her affairs, particularly when she planned on getting married.

Discomfort set into the pits of her stomach as she remembered the conversation she and her grandfather had the day she arrived. The discussion started out normal, as always. He inquired about her affairs and she gladly narrated stories of her life, her profession, everything he asked about. Of course, unlike most grandparents who were happy enough to have their grandchild visit them, hers was more interested in starting an argument or belittling her.

As one would expect, he heard about the incident at the bazaar and Mei was forced to play mind games with him. She told him that it was a 'necessity brought on by circumstances.' A fitting description if she did say so herself, yet the old man seemed to have completely and utterly seen through her little charade. It came as an absolute surprise when, despite his obvious suspicion towards Mei's half-lie, he chose to say nothing and merely grunted in acknowledgment as he stroked his white beard.

Mei shuffled on the bed, clearly he knew she wasn't telling the whole truth, which is why it gnawed at her even more. Her grandfather was not the type of person to let such things go. Retribution would probably be brought down on her at some point but for now, all she could be bothered was the anxiety which grew as the minutes ticked on. The ball would be commenced this evening and she could already feel the soreness of her legs coupled with the discomfort of a corset.

Three soft knocks sounded from the door, prompting Mei to listen as a maid greeted her, "Miss Mei, are you awake?"

"Yes, come in." She sat up on the bed, not wanting to be seen in a vulnerable state.

The door swung open, revealing a maid with fiery red hair which danced as she walked inside the room. The girl was around the same age as Mei but her freckled face and wide smile made her look more like an innocent adolescent than a proper adult... there was also the fact that she was short in stature, not much taller than Himeko.

"Good morning, Miss Mei." The red-headed maid greeted her with a thick Irish accent.

"Good morning, Angelica." Mei greeted back as she rose from her bed, "What brings you here so early?" She gently rubbed her eyes, trying to get the last bit of sleep out of them.

"Your gown is all ready, miss. I wanted to bring it over as soon as I could." Angelica smiled at her, "Also, breakfast will be ready soon. Will you be eating with your father and grandfather or would you prefer to eat here, miss?"

Mei paused for a second as she was reminded of another girl who would greet her in such high spirits every morning. A vague remembrance of the home she left back in the city.

"Is something wrong, miss?" Angelica asked after she noticed the youngest Aihara spacing out, which wasn't all that unusual for the doctor but a servant must always consider their master's health.

"No, I was just thinking about someone." Mei swatted the thoughts of flowing blonde hair from her mind before she answered the original question, "I'll take my breakfast here, thank you."

"Oh!?" The maid's smile widened as her eyes twinkled with intrigue.

Mei raised an eyebrow as if to question the girl for the sudden spike in enthusiasm. It seems as though everyone around her had a tendency to suddenly get excited about the most mundane things.

"What are you grinning about?" She asked, obviously annoyed. Sadly, none of her close confidants nor friends seemed to care much for her mood unless she was insatiably angry.

"It's the first time I've seen you preoccupied about a human, miss." Angelica produced one loud clap as she slapped her hands together. The wide smile still present on her freckled face, "Is it a gentleman?" She asked. Her eyes wide with anticipation.

"What are you on about?" Mei scoffed at her.

"That's too bad, miss. I thought we'd finally be seeing some little Aiharas around here." Angelica slumped her shoulders, a little dejected that she wouldn't be seeing little Meis running around the entirety of the 1000-acre estate.

"What is with everyone's obsession with procreation?" Mei rubbed her temples as she approached the small desk that was seated in front of a window. It was so early in the morning and talks of children were already up and about. It displeased her even more that it wasn't just her grandfather who was bringing it up.

Angelica, having noticed Mei's growing displeasure, decided to leave it at that. The Aiharas could be quite temperamental, of course, Sho was an exemption to that but Mei and her grandfather were extremely easy to anger and difficult to calm, "Think nothing of it, miss. I guess we servants are just looking forward to having more people to serve. It can get quite lonely when there's only Mister Sho and the master."

The maid's reasoning was valid. The entirety of the house boasted around 30 rooms which included the servant's quarters, facilities and bedrooms. The Aihara estate was definitely too spacious to be occupied by two people, and her grandfather wasn't getting any younger.

"I understand what you mean, but I have no interest in the subject matter."

"Of course, miss." Angelica spoke with a hint of knowing, "Well then, I shall leave your gown here and I will return with breakfast." The girl excused herself, turned on her heel and quietly walked out the door.

Mei, having been left on her own once more, decided to pass the time by reading a book she had chosen the previous evening. Unlike her own home, there were not many activities to be done at her family's estate and as such, she stayed in the bedroom - continuously consuming book after book in an attempt to alleviate her boredom.

Mei furrowed her eyebrows as she remembered the story of how she came to possess the book in her hands. Usually, she would go out and buy her own books but there was one winter evening in which she caught a cold and having nothing else to do, asked Himeko to purchase a book from the local bookshop. Harumi, who was then visiting, insisted on doing the errand for her. Mei didn't immediately agree to the offer. She knew that Harumi wasn't one to take things seriously but she also argued that there was no possible way to make a mistake when purchasing literature.

After accepting her friend's offer, she requested a book titled 'Prometheus Unbound by Percy Bysshe Shelley.' Hours later Harumi came back, a wide grin plastered on her face as she handed Mei the requested object. It was obvious that Harumi was waiting to be praised on a job well done, but what she got was a book to the face. She had purchased 'A Modern Prometheus' by Mary Shelley instead of 'Prometheus Unbound' by Percy, much to the doctor's dismay.

Reading through the first few chapters, Mei immediately regretted her ungrateful actions towards Harumi. The book was fascinating, to say the least. Her excitement only grew as she turned from one page to the next. It was an interesting concept; A mad scientist distraught by his own creation, a creature condemned for his appearance. She didn't quite understand the charm of it, maybe once she reached the final chapters she would have an inkling as to why the narrative was so intriguing. Sadly, that was not going to be today on account of Himeko's shrill cries of panic as she entered inside the doctor's chambers.

"Mei-Mei! It's this late and you haven't gotten ready?!" Himeko ran across the room, gathering parts of Mei's ball attire, "The guests will arrive shortly. It's unlike you to be this irresponsible." The small girl continued as she waddled under the weight of all the items she carried.

Mei would've corrected her on that. It's true that she was rarely late for anything but there were times, like this, when she became so engrossed at her current activity that she forgot about engagements, "I apologize." She said before closing her book; a little ashamed at her own lack of prudence.

She stood up, her eyes bathed by the orange hue that shone from the window, pulling her attention towards the courtyard and onto the isle which separates the inbound and outbound paths that led up to the manor's entrance. It wasn't the beauty of the setting sun nor the magnolia trees which had already finished blooming. Mei peered closer into the window, her hand laying softly against the delicate glass which separated her from the outside. What truly caught her attention were the little plants that populated the aisle, the very same ones from her dream. Since the cold weather had only begun to roll in, the plants were still budding and as hard as she tried, she couldn't remember its name.

"Mei-Mei! Please take this seriously!" Himeko once again bellowed in panic. It was plainly obvious that the girl's adrenaline was running on overdrive just because Mei was being a little more 'out of it' than usual.

Mei, not wanting to cause her housekeeper anymore needless worry, disrobed and allowed the girl to help her into the formal ball gown. You could tell that Himeko was so accustomed to Mei's needs by the way she moved like quicksilver. The girl worked her magic and in as quick as a heartbeat, she had already gotten Mei dressed up and ready to host a grand ball.

"My, Mei-Mei. You look absolutely stunning!" Himeko complimented the doctor with a bit of tear falling from her eyes, presumably from happiness - much like a proud parent.

"It's... a little chilly." Mei tugged on the sleeves of the gown, it's lace-trimmed edge bending to the curve of her torso. Mei had argued back an forth that the dress, being off-shouldered, showed a bit too much skin than she was comfortable with. The dressmaker eventually conceded, but only added a black chiffon layer to cover her neck and shoulders, which truthfully, didn't really do much.

"Nonsense, Mei-Mei. It will get warm once you're dancing, so this is just perfect." Himeko smiled before presenting Mei with a chocker, "If you'll be so kind as to sit down so I can put this on you." The girl asked, a little embarrassed that she was too small to reach Mei's neck.

Mei obliged and took a seat, a growl sounding from her throat as the corset tightened a bit more around her. 'Whoever invented these abominations should be considered a torturer, not a designer.' She complained as the so-called torture device continuously restricted her breathing as if to avenge their creator.

Himeko placed the choker on Mei's neck, being careful not to ruffle her gown nor dishevel her hair. Not that she could even if she wanted to. That was the trouble with Mei's Asian bloodline, her hair was far too straight and stubborn that it wouldn't hold to any of the Victorian hairstyles which Himeko had always wanted to try on her.

Updos? curls? Forget about it. Even a wave was difficult to do. So, with quiet resignation, Himeko accepted that the best she could do was to split the long raven-locks into three, use the middle section to create a bun, then braid the other two around it. It was simple, but Mei was beautiful and she didn't really need all these additional frills.

"All right, Mei-Mei. Stand up and twirl once, let me have a good look at you before you go." Himeko lifted both of her arms up and gave a 'come hither' motion to Mei, waiting for her to get off of the chair.

Mei did as she was told. She got up, twirled once and tilted her head as she waited for Himeko to give her approval, "Well?" She asked, a little impatient at how Himeko was bidding her time to reply.

Himeko gave a nod of approval, her lips bursting into a wide grin. "Yes, perfect! That Amethyst brooch on the choker definitely stands out against the black dress. It really brings your eyes out. You look heavenly, Mei-Mei." Himeko cheered and fawned over her mistress.

Mei thought it was counterintuitive to describe her 'heavenly' when she was completely covered in black. "If it's good, then I should go. Grandfather wouldn't take kindly to his own granddaughter being late." She gave Himeko a thank you, then headed for the door.

"Oh wait!" Himeko called on her, so she turned. "You forgot these." The girl offered her a pair of silken black evening gloves which Mei accepted with gratitude.

When Mei arrived at the ballroom, she was relieved to know that none of the guests have arrived and she was just in time to catch her grandfather entering through the large wooden doors. The proper conduct when throwing a ball was to have the host arrive first. It doesn't matter how busy nor how grand you are, unless you're the monarch, you _must_ arrive first. Though it seemed like Mei's father didn't get the memo.

"Where's Sho? The guests will be arriving soon!" Her grandfather seethed with anger.

"I'm sure he'll be here soon, Grandfather." Mei moved towards the windowed side of the ballroom, looking out to see if guests were arriving already, and they were.

Just then, a man bolted through the doorway, his dress-coat fluttered as he quickly paced inside the room "I'm here. Sorry for the delay, I couldn't find my bowtie." He said with a gentle smile on his face.

Mei looked at the man with the same raven hair as hers and the same deep amethyst eyes. He was definitely her father, but how could he be so different from the 'typical' Aihara? Sho was always more... energetic, as some would call him. Mei and her grandfather were both stoic, which was expected of them. Their name carried that impression after all.

With the Aiharas gathered and the guest pooling outside, the ball was set into motion. Each guest was introduced as they entered into the ballroom, it's lavish walls and polished floors ready for an evening of fun and dancing. Mei stood at the very back of the room, each lord, gentleman, and lady coming to wish her a happy birthday; some of them she recognized, most of them she didn't.

Not even an hour passed and Mei was already tired. She couldn't wait to get away from all this but the night was young and even if the greetings and chatter ended, there was still dancing to be had. Ceaseless wishes and compliments where thrown her way, the usual 'congratulations' and 'you're as beautiful as ever,' the former, she didn't mind at all but the latter made her cringe. And yet through it all, she steeled and put on a faux smile as she gave an appreciative thanks.

In her grandfather's domain, he was the law and she didn't dare trample upon his wishes. Mostly because he will nag even more about the issue of marriage, throwing absurd excuses like it will calm her down or some other pathetic reason. As luck would have it, things don't always go as planned and tonight, the world was simply out to get her.

"Hello, Miss Mei." Amemiya came forward, dashing as ever. His brown hair slicked back and his dress-coat prim and sharp. A hand stretched out, waiting for Mei to offer hers.

With her jaws clenched in total repulsion, Mei offered her hand, unable to refuse. It would be rude to, she knew that much. A kiss was planted on the offered hand and despite the unchanging expression on her face, she was sure to make the oaf of a gentleman know that she didn't like his gesture. Not one bit.

"Happy birthday. You will allow me your first dance, will you not?" He goaded her temper.

"Of course, Mister Amemiya." She replied politely though her eyes betrayed her.

"Thank you. I'm honored and I will see you later, m'lady." He gave a mocking half-bow, which annoyed Mei even more. This time she couldn't control her seething anger and it showed in the form of an apoplectic scowl. If her expression lasted any longer than it did, she would've definitely been reprimanded by her grandfather and that cannot happen during a grand ball, so she inhaled sharply and let the negativity go.

A decent amount of pleasantries were exchanged and finally, the ladies were seated. But just before the ball began, a fashionably late Harumi arrived. After all, in the Victorian era, one who arrives late is always the talk of the week. Even more so when you're Harumi Taniguchi, walking along the grand staircase in a be-jeweled lilac gown which had enough jewels to reflect the light from the equally grand chandeliers of the ballroom.

"Miss Harumi Taniguchi" A servant whispered into Mei's ears. It was customary for a host to know everyone who arrives at their parties and as such, there would usually be a servant tasked with reminding their masters who is who and what their position or title is. Of course, no introduction was needed for the plum-haired socialite who reveled in the attention she received from the guests, flaunting her beauty as she descended the stairs.

"Miss Yuzu Romanova" Another name was whispered. 'Romanova? The Russian Empire?' She thought. Confusion was imminent of course, though it wouldn't be farfetched to assume that the blonde was off Russian descent, especially with her appearance. The Romanov surname was not that uncommon after all, hence it didn't necessarily mean that the blonde was a bastard of royal descent. Though everyone in that ballroom would beg to differ once they saw the blonde descending the stairs.

In a scene much like a fantasy, the girl walked right behind Harumi, completely eclipsing the plum-haired girl, at least in Mei's eyes. Her dress was of the icy winters, a pure white satin gown that boasted an impressive tapestry of feathers that decorated the back from the waist down. The front was a bit simpler, choosing to go with a beaded design while more feathers decorated its high collar - just barely touching the blonde's jawline. All eyes were on her and it didn't take long for the gentlemen to scramble about and get the stewards to introduce them to the newcomer.

Even Mei, in all her splendid density and inscrutable disinterest, couldn't tear her eyes off of the blonde.

The conductor, uncaring of the spectacle that just happened, had already begun putting the ball in motion and with it, the men followed suit and approached their respective partners. Amemiya towered in front of Mei and offered his hand as he bowed; inviting her for the first dance. Mei took his hand and allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor, like a lord and his lady gliding through the intricate marble floors.

With his hand on her shoulder blade and hers on his shoulder, the two danced to the rhythm of Aram Khachaturian's Masquerade Waltz. Such a beautiful and exciting piece. It was too bad that she needed to share it with a twat like Amemiya.

"Enjoying the dance, Mei?" He whispered to her, a wry smile on his face.

"It's rude to whisper while dancing, Mister Amemiya." She answered with animosity. It didn't please her that he would often address her without a title and obviously, she wasn't keen on having a conversation with him either. If she could just be allowed to turn him down, then she would do so a million times over and not regret a single second of it.

"Come now. I plan to woo your grandfather into giving me your hand in marriage tonight. We should celebrate! You can start by smiling more."

"I politely decline your request. And if my grandfather would agree to your proposal, then he may marry you in my stead."

Mei staggered as Amemiya lunged forward a little too quickly. His intention was obviously to catch her off guard and send her tumbling over, but Mei had danced way too many times for that to be of any effect.

"Look around you." He urged her, "See all of those ladies' jealous stares? Why, even the princess would easily swoon to me, would you not agree?" He continued in utter hubris.

"Do you mean our Princess? Isn't she a toddler? My, my, I didn't know you fancied that sort of thing, Mister Amemiya." The insult was sharp as Mei's wit. Like needlework, it dug right into Amemiya's pride and he momentarily twisted, eyes vile with hatred.

On that note, the dance ended and Amemiya escorted Mei back to her seat. He smiled as he bowed, but she could see the disdain that hid behind the gentle facade. She had successfully angered him and there was no better feeling than that.

A few more dances were to be had, mostly gentlemen of various houses whom politely escorted Mei in and out of the dance floor. She enjoyed their company much more than Amemiya's, however, she couldn't help but take a few chance glances at the blonde who was as actively invited as she was. The girl danced, her long blonde hair freely flowing with each turn; she was clumsy, that much was obvious, but nonetheless, the gentlemen fawned over her.

"May I have the honors of the next dance, cousin?" A man with brown hair and thick-rimmed glasses offered as he bent down to ask for her hand, a simple greeting.

"Ed? When did you return?" Mei was a little started by her cousin's appearance, "I thought you were still touring through the East?"

"I returned last week," He smiled gently, "Come, we'll talk as we dance." He offered his arm and escorted Mei to the dance floor as they took their positions.

Her cousin chuckled lightly as the music started. His eyes were so full of enjoyment, exactly how she remembered him to be despite the span of time in which they didn't see each other. Being the only family that supported her pursuits, Mei had always enjoyed Ed's company... but that didn't mean he would get off lightly for that laugh he just did.

"What are you laughing about?" She inquired with a brow raised. Her tone a mixture of curiosity and slight apprehension.

"The Waltz of Sleeping Beauty." He uttered, then paused shortly as they turned. "Isn't it quite fitting for you? Perhaps you still sleep in the oddest of places?" His laughter was subdued but much more audible than the previous one.

Mei didn't answer and she knew her cousin took that as silent affirmation. In fact, she had slept through the majority of their commute from the city; It didn't matter if the train was whistling like a devil or it shook as strong as an earthquake, she slept through the entire thing and it was only by Himeko's help that she roused. However, the problem started much younger - the servants would often find her sleeping under a tree, within the bushes and once, she was found fast asleep beside a horse in the stables. She was dubbed as 'sleeping beauty' by the servants and Ed never let it die down, always bringing the whole thing up to Mei's embarrassment.

"8 Years is a long time. You've grown more beautiful."

"And you still say the most ridiculous things. Now, tell me of your trip."

"It was fantastic! I wish you would've gone with me. Sadly, there wouldn't be enough time for us to discuss it within the measly minutes of a dance, however, I brought you an insurmountable amount of books from every country I visited."

Mei's eyes glinted with excitement when she heard of the literature that would soon be added to her collection. A few years ago, her cousin had invited her to join him on a tour across the Asian continent. She asked her grandfather, begged him even, but he expressly forbid it. The old man explained that she was the only successor to the Aihara name, unlike her cousin who was only the second son of the Udagawas and in his family's eyes - expendable.

"Thank you. I'll be sure to treat them well." A faint smile crept on her lips.

"Be sure that you do. I had to go through the eye of a needle for some of those!" He laughed merrily before continuing, "In any case, would you happen to know the blonde lady over there?" He tilted his head into the direction of the woman he was referring to, "She's been glancing in our direction for quite some time now."

Mei followed Ed's motion and immediately saw the blonde he was referring to, "Yes." She answered simply, not wanting to lie about the relationship she shared with the girl.

"I see... I heard the stewards whispering. Yuzu Romanova, was it? Is she part of _that_ Romanov family?"

"Doubtful." She gave another short answer while keeping her eyes on the blonde girl. This time her cousin took a hint and stopped prying further into her matters. She thanked him silently as he walked her back to the chairs.

"I'll come visit you sometime in the next week. We can talk more then." He said before bowing down and thanking Mei for the dance.

Mei's feet were literally killing her at this point. So many dances to be had and so little rest in between. With no one to blame for her current anguish, she cursed at the shoemaker for making her heels too high, then the socialite who decided that 'balls' were to be a necessity and finally, herself for being born and having a birthday. Thankfully the next set would be the final one and at the very least, there were arguably fewer men this year than the previous ones though that might be, in part, due to the blonde who was garnering as much attention as she was.

Unbeknownst to her, the final dance would be the most impactful. Mei stifled a yawn, not wanting to appear rude to those who were around her. Tears pooled at the corner of her eyes and she quickly, but gracefully, wiped them off. In the short span of time in which her eyes were closed, her final dancing partner had approached her.

"May I have the last dance, miss?" The voice spoke. Familiar, yet mysterious.

Mei immediately opened her eyes and looked at the one who addressed her, it was Yuzu. Her emerald eyes beckoned warmly as her outstretched hand waited to be taken. Mei was in a clear state of confusion, dancing with the same gender was not allowed unless there was a clear lack of the opposite gender. She scanned the room, looking to see if that was the case and sure enough, it was.

Unbidden, a sigh escaped her lips. The blonde was really becoming bolder in her actions. To think that she would pull a stunt like this while in the presence of such a large crowd, not to mention her grandfather, was really worrying. Nevertheless, a lady must never turn down an invitation. Taking the offered hand, Mei rose to her feet and took the arm which was offered in kind.

"You look lovely, Miss Aihara." The blonde giggled with flustered cheeks.

"So do you." Mei took notice of the flowers which were woven into the girl's blonde hair. The same flowers that were colored in deep blue-purplish hues with just enough yellows to create a pleasing combination, "In any case... Romanova?" She asked as they readied for the dance, Mei giving a courtesy towards the lead while the latter bowed slightly in reciprocation.

"Oh, Harumi thought it would be proper to use a family name from another country. No one would pry into it, she said." The blonde giggled, placing her right hand on Mei's shoulder blade while offering the other.

'That idiot.' Mei thought. If the blonde was to attract this much attention, then someone would end up looking into her background and in turn, it will become a scandalous issue which she absolutely did not want to be tangled in. "So then, what's your real name?" Mei pried a little deeper. She had been meaning to ask, but she kept forgetting about it.

"Hmm. I'll tell you some other time, miss." The blonde smiled softly as the music started playing.

The tune started, it was slow, warm and tender. A hint of innocence sprung from unsung verses, like a romance waiting to be beheld. It was a new melody, Mei had never heard it before and yet somehow, she felt the emotions so clearly. Little hints of childish clumsiness that somehow emanated from the song were much like the way the blonde struggled with leading.

"Do you not know how to lead?" Mei asked in a gentle whisper.

"N-no, miss. I thought I'd be able to but... it's harder than it looks, isn't it?" The blonde answered nervously before uttering a word of apology and averting her gaze.

Mei gave a disgruntled sigh. She should've known the blonde didn't think this through before acting upon it. "I'll lead." She offered, shifting her hand from a follow to a lead position. The blonde didn't fight it, she allowed Mei to take over, turning as they swapped positions.

She bent down ever so slightly, cueing the blonde on her intent to step forward. Then a step to the right, and a foot back and returning to the left. The blonde followed her so fluidly that she wondered if the girl's previous dancing partners were the issue.

"Miss Aihara." Mei, being a little taller, looked down to meet the eyes of the one who called her with such affection, "I'm happy to see you again." The blonde gave a shy smile, then quickly looked away to break their eye contact.

Mei's heartbeat seemed absent for a moment and she wondered what might've caused it. With not even a second to spare, another foreign feeling soon pervaded her senses - an unexplained warmth, like the rush of summer. "Likewise." She said in a silent whisper, barely audible by all measures of sound, but the smile that lay on the blonde's lips was an indication that no matter how muffled the words were, they were heard.

For the first time, Mei felt electrified. Of the hundreds upon hundreds of dancing partners she's had, none fit her hand better than the blonde's did. It was the first time she ever danced with a woman, but... how should she put it? It felt like they were pieces of the same puzzle, perfectly snug together and somehow, no matter how silly this may sound, it was like they were both exactly where they should be.

Harumi remained seated with a wide grin on her face. She noted how the two were like night and day melding together in perfect harmony. They completely commanded the entire dance floor, flowing so well together that the guests had gone silent and watched in gaped awe as the two glided across the room. Even their fellow dancers, no matter how much they tried not to, were all distracted by their splendor.

The romantic mood set by the music amplified the undeniable chemistry between the doctor garbed in total darkness and her patient bathed in stark white. Harumi couldn't help but widen her grin as she entertained the thoughts of how there might be hope for Mei yet.

As the tune kept on, Mei and Yuzu remained lost in their world. They resonated with the melody, each turn and step perfectly matching the other's - a strong testament to how much they complimented each other.

Harumi herself stared in amazement at this point. A prince and a princess's dance held no candle to the current spectacle, it was too mystical and captivating. She never thought she would see the day when Mei smiled happily as she danced. 'What a great day to be alive.' Harumi chuckled as her once wide grin turned into a gentler smile.

"You're smiling, miss." The girl teased as she courtesied at the end of the music.

"Yes." Mei didn't care to object this time, she was far too amused by a memory that resurfaced. "I just remembered what these flowers are called." She continued while looking at the blooms that were woven into her partner's blonde hair, bowing as she did.

Having switched from follow to lead, Mei offered her arm to accompany the blonde across the floor. The blonde smiled and took it gladly, allowing Mei to escort her back to her seat.

"They're called Irises." Her mother's voice sounded in her mind, almost forgotten in memory.

"Irises?" A young Mei echoed.

"That's right. Or Iris for singular."

"Iris." The little girl echoed once more.

"Would you like to learn of what it means?" The woman asked her daughter as they continued walking towards the house.

The little girl looked up at her mother and wordlessly nodded in reply, eliciting a slight chuckle from the woman.

"Well, it depends on the color of the bloom. For example, a white iris would mean purity and a yellow would mean passion."

"And this one?" The little girl trotted along as she waited for an answer.

"These are special." The woman smiled gently, "They symbolize faith and hope."

* * *

Notes:

*Dies*

I rewrote this chapter a lot until I was happy with it. I feel like I tend to make unnecessary scenes sometimes and a lot of those got thrown out through revisions. It's still fairly long but eh- these all belong in the same place so excuse the wall of text that you just read. LOL.

Ah, a shit ton of research went into this chapter, which is why it took so long to write. Now I can safely assume that I can throw a grand ball with the amount of reading I did on that subject matter. Though honestly, I didn't follow some of the actual necessities of it and you'll have to excuse me for that as well as the time period for the two mentioned scores.

Anyway, the dance between Mei and Yuzu, I didn't mention the score because it didn't feel right to put it in the narrative. I'm sure everyone has their own songs in mind, but for those who are curious, I actually wrote this in tune with the classical version of Beauty and the Beast (I recommend the Philharmonics version if you'd like to listen to it). It's just such a beautiful piece and I thought it suited the two of them well in this case.

Not that either of them could count as a beast, but I assume everyone gets the point. Haha!

I started regretting this setting when I realized I would have to describe ball gowns on this chapter. I can't even properly sort out my clothing and then I had to describe parts of a gown which I have zero idea on whatchamacallits. It was fun though!

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Come on, guys! Let's forget about the disease for now and just drown in the fluffs. We'll eventually get there! Actually, I don't want to say partly because I feel like it shouldn't be discussed this early on. I mean, I get the feeling of wanting to know but I also think that it kind of takes away from the overall story if I were to confirm anything about it.

I'm not saying it'll be Moulin Rouge, simply that it takes from the experience? I guess? I don't know how to put it in words exactly.

* * *

To Guest, I never thought of character accuracy, to be honest. I'm glad that it portrays their character well though and I apologize in advance if they start straying from that path. (༎ຶ⌑༎ຶ)

* * *

Thanks to everyone who's reading and enjoying this. I mean, you guys keep on thanking me for the chapters but it's kind of give and take between us; I make silly stories and all of you enjoy the silly stories I write which in turn, motivates me because there are people out there who are enjoying it. ≖‿≖

Now, I'll need to be excused because I'll start with Caught in a Web again. I left that one at such a bad time. It wasn't intentional, I swear.


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